Oath
by Venath
Summary: AU. On the night of the Kyuubi's attack, a boy overhears something he wasn't supposed to. Naturally, Naruto's upbringing goes through a few changes as a result. Itachi and Naruto, but not Naruto/Itachi.
1. Oath

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Okay, this edit occurred on 8/17/2010.

NOTE TO READERS: For those who may be new to this story, I began published the story way back in **2008**, and was working on it for a decent while earlier than that. This was before the third databook was released, before the second fanbook was released, and before the final battle between Sasuke and Itachi even took place.

The point of this? Multiple people have attempted to "correct" me on information revealed as late as the last few months. It is currently the year **2010**, and quickly approaching 2011. If the information was released after the story was posted, I feel no obligation to include that information. Attempting to correct me on things that were not already revealed by the time it was being written and posted really serves little purpose. I may alter pieces of the story here and there to accommodate revelations in the canon that I like, but I have no intention of changing every last little thing to fit with the manga. If that were my intention then I would just write the manga in fanfic form and call it a novelization.

Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the story.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

* * *

The Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, had already started attacking the village of Konohagakure, and the shinobi of Konoha were responding in kind. As expected, those who weren't of the ninja ranks fled to any of the shelters that were prepared in case of an assault on the village, not that they would be of much use when faced against the wrath of a being capable of flattening mountains and raising tsunamis with a single swipe of is tails.

One particular boy, however, wasn't hiding away in the strongest shelter available. Itachi Uchiha, a mere child of five years and student at the ninja academy, was doing the exact opposite of the rest of the children his age. For you see, this boy had a hero. A hero of nearly unmatched skill, who he believed deserved the respect of even those in the legendary Uchiha Clan. A hero most recognized by the title of Hokage. The Fourth Hokage, to be precise. So as Itachi's classmates and a number of his seniors fled to their hiding

places in terror, he sneaked away to find the Fourth, and beg for permission to join the battle, if that's what it came to. Unfortunately, the Hokage seemed to be missing.

He'd looked everywhere that he would expect a Hokage to run a battle from besides the battlefield itself, which he knew the Hokage hadn't entered yet due to overhearing several shinobi who were making their way to join Konoha's defense. So when the Hokage hadn't turned up at any of the places he could coordinate the battle from, Itachi had turned to the only remaining thing he could think of; the hospital. After all, if a hero like the Fourth Hokage wasn't defending Konoha against a threat like the Kyuubi, surely he must have been injured or ill.

The run had only taken a few minutes. The raven-haired boy was racing through the hospital uninterrupted, the hospital staff being completely bogged down with the effects of the demon fox's attack. As he began to speed up his search, he suddenly came screeching to a halt at the unexpected sight of the Fourth standing in the nursery, holding a small boy with a patch of blond hair. There was no mistaking that it was the Fourth, the wild and untamed golden-yellow hair identifying him almost as clearly as the ornamental red and white robes he was wearing. Itachi recognized the elderly man standing on the Fourth's right as the retired Third Hokage, though he didn't recognize the oddly dressed man with white hair standing to the Fourth's left. All of them were looking at the small boy in their leader's arms. Before Itachi could burst in and ask what he meant to, the strange man to the Fourth's left began to speak.

"Minato, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you know what will happen when you…" he trailed off, as if not wanting to continue the thought.

"I know."

They were silent for a moment, before the Third spoke up.

"What do you want for the child? We can't be sure what would happen if the villagers were to learn of the connection that will form between the Kyuubi and himself if you-"

"When."

"…When you succeed."

The Fourth looked down at the small boy again, a sad smile gracing his lips.

"I want them to know. He's going to be carrying a great burden for their sakes, for the sake of the entire village. He's going to be a hero before he can even walk. They should treat him like one." The strange man with white hair cut in again,

"And if they can't see past the fox? If they can only see the demon?" Grinning, the Minato smiled at him, taking on a younger, less mature look.

"You really should have more faith in people, Ero-sennin."

Minato turned a wistful gaze towards the boy again, and watched him for a few moments in silence before continuing.

"Jiraiya, Sarutobi. We all know that I'm going to die tonight, so I want you to promise me something. He's my son. I want him to be properly taken care of, no matter what happens."

As the Third and the strange man, Jiraiya, the Fourth called him, mumbled the promise with sorrowful tone, Itachi's mind was racing with all he'd just learned. _The Fourth is going to die? And he had a son!_ Why hadn't anyone been told about this? Suddenly, the Fourth began walking forward, and Itachi ducked into a nearby room, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. As the Fourth and his companions passed by, Itachi couldn't help but think about the boy. The one sharing the blood of the Fourth. The one that was supposed to be some kind of hero, for some involvement he was going to have with the fox. Itachi stayed in that spot for some time, his young mind doing its best to process everything he'd just heard. Within the hour, along with the rest of the village, he heard a great roar, and looked out a nearby window towards the direction of the Nine-Tails.

However, unlike the rest of the citizens of Konoha, he couldn't bring himself to cheer as he saw the great beast disappear. For unlike the others, though too young to fully understand, he was aware of the fact that one of their greatest heroes had died, leaving behind a son that would have to bear a burden like few others could even imagine. That's why Itachi, like Jiraiya and the Third, made a promise both to himself and the Fourth. As he began his slow walk home, amid the cheerful cries of those who had come out of hiding to celebrate the great "victory" they'd witnessed, he muttered a quiet mantra to himself, as if to reinforce it in his mind.

"I'll watch out for him. It's a promise."

* * *

AN: So, thoughts, questions, criticisms, flames?


	2. Apprentice: Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

Well, since people at least seem interested, here we go.

* * *

**Six years later…**

As the villagers parted, Itachi couldn't help but give a mental sigh. Keeping his promise hadn't been particularly difficult, but Naruto had such an easy time making it frustrating. The villagers hadn't done as the Fourth had hoped, and even ended up hating the boy, save for a few such as the two who ran the little ramen stand Naruto frequented so often. Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame, if he wasn't mistaken. And Itachi was rarely mistaken. The villagers' anger may have been irrational at times, but the boy certainly wasn't helping. He honestly hadn't the slightest clue where Naruto got the idea that pulling pranks on the villagers would make them more tolerant of him. Once the entire crowd had departed, he turned to the fence at his right.

"You can come out. They're gone."

Suddenly the fence seemed to ripple, as Naruto pulled away the sheet he'd painted to match it as a quick escape. He could cause trouble, but at least he knew how to hide. Even if he was crazy enough to wear bright orange. What made it even more baffling was that he never even appeared to use any kind of jutsu to make the sheet blend in with the fence properly. Nothing that loud and that brightly colored should be able to blend into the environment like that without using genjutsu. It really was a mystery. The kid suddenly grinned up at him.

"Heh. Thanks, freaky eyes."

Giving a short nod, despite his annoyance at the "pet name" Naruto had given him, he turned away before adding a piece of advice. "You might want to lay low for a while. You went overboard on this one."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm outta here. Thanks again for scaring 'em off, freaky eyes."

As Naruto walked off, probably to cause more trouble, Itachi couldn't help but let his mind wander to Naruto's wording. Scaring them off. He found it…Interesting, how at age eleven, many grown men were afraid to look him in the eye if he appeared agitated. Admittedly, it was incredibly rare for someone to have enough talent to reach the rank of Chunin at ten years old, and it was almost unheard of to master the Sharingan by eight years old. So their fear may have been well founded. The only other instance of one so young achieving the Sharingan was Madara.

Madara Uchiha. Now there was another matter occupying his thoughts more and more often. His ancestor had come to him not too long before, preaching about the weakness of the Uchiha Clan. And as Itachi watched his clan and the other villagers, as he truly looked deeper into their actions and beliefs, he couldn't help but wonder if Madara's words held a grain of truth. At first, he hadn't even believed the man to be anything but an insane wanderer who wanted to be part of the famous Uchiha Clan. That is, until he had shown Itachi a far more advanced version of the Sharingan. He hadn't explained how to achieve this "Mangekyo Sharingan," but he'd asked Itachi to at least consider his words.

_No, I can focus on that later. Right now I have to deal with the __Naruto__ situation_ As he reached the Uchiha Compound, his thoughts turned back to the boy. While there had been a few attempts on Naruto's life as an infant, they had quickly been stopped. Afterwards, few had tried anything so extreme. Most of them simply ignored the child, kept their children away from him, or shoved the boy around once in a while. Even his own parents were somewhat harsh to the boy, though they allowed his little brother Sasuke to at least be around the boy when Itachi was present. He was glad that Naruto had found something of a friend in the younger Uchiha. It was surprising, given the obvious similarities between Naruto and his father. They were almost identical. The same wild blond hair, the same bright blue eyes, the same carefree and energetic postures...

But as time went on, and Naruto began to get older they had started getting worse. More aggressive over lesser offenses. And it was starting to worry him. He'd never figured out exactly what happened to Naruto. He wasn't willing to resort to torture, not over something like that, and the village had never been so collectively tight-lipped about anything as far as he could remember. They clearly feared him, and it must have had something to do with his connection to the Kyuubi or the Fourth's death. Perhaps both. Either way, something had to be done about it. So naturally, knowing the Hokage couldn't get personally involved on the chance that the villagers believed Naruto had somehow "corrupted" him, and that the "demon boy" wouldn't be accepted into the Uchiha Clan even as nothing more than a friend of the clan, Itachi decided to take things into his own hands.

As he entered his room, he saw his little brother sitting on the ground, tossing one of Itachi's old training kunai into the air. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he was distracted by his big brother's entrance just as he tossed the tool up, and all things that go up must inevitably come down. Sometimes on the heads of those who threw them in the first place. As much as Itachi wanted to look after his little brother, he couldn't allow him to become directly involved in his little plot. He was going to have enough trouble with Naruto alone. So as Sasuke grinned up at him sheepishly, he knew he had to tell him.

"Sasuke, I'm going to be leaving the village for a while. I'm taking Naruto." As Sasuke looked up at him in shock, and even a little bit of betrayal at the implication that he would be left out, Itachi felt he may have been a little too blunt.

"It's not because of you. You know how the villagers treat Naruto, yes?" At Sasuke's nod, he continued, "They've been getting worse. Violent. I don't think he's very safe."

"So you're leaving me here!"

"Think of it more as me making you the keeper of my secret."

"Secret?"

"I'm not telling anyone about this. Not the Hokage, not the clan, not Shisui, not even mother or father. Only you. I need someone I can trust here in Konoha. You're my brother, and one of Naruto's only friends. I need you here." While Sasuke was still visibly upset, there was a hint of pride in his eyes as well, likely in the knowledge that he could be useful to his brother. But still, Itachi felt he should at least repay him somehow…

_Of course! He's always asking me about it._ "Sasuke. How would you like to learn the Great Fireball technique?" And as Sasuke's sadness suddenly disappeared, replaced by excitement, he knew he had found the best way to handle the situation. "Come on. Let's go."

"Right now?"

"Yes. I'm going to be leaving soon, so we don't have too long."

----

As he carried his half-conscious brother home, exhausted from spending an entire afternoon trying to generate the necessary chakra to use the technique, and doing surprisingly well. He hadn't gone as far as Itachi had in such a short time period, but he was definitely talented when he gave it his all. He had picked up the hand seals quickly, and even managed to produce a small burst of fire before getting too tired to continue.

As he slowly put Sasuke down on the bed, the young boy stirred, and glanced at him.

"You're…leaving?"

"Yes."

He could tell that his brother was trying not to cry in front of him, not wanting to be embarrassed. In a rare sign of affection, knowing they might not meet again for some time, he ruffled the boy's hair for a moment.

"We'll meet again, sometime. Then you can show me how much your technique has improved."

"It'll be the best." Sasuke mumbled tiredly, smiling up at him.

"I'm sure it will. Now go to sleep, brother."

It was time to pick up Naruto. And as Itachi began walking towards the rundown apartment complex, the reinstated Third Hokage watched through his crystal ball, his own plan already beginning to form.

* * *

AN: Anyway, still happy to see reviews, be they praise, constructive criticism, or flames. Hope you enjoyed. 


	3. Apprentice: Scheming

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Always nice to know that someone's interested in your writing. Glad to hear that I'm not making Itachi **too** OOC. As for the Uchiha slaughter and the Akatsuki…Well, that's for me to know, in the hopes that it'll keep people reading.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

* * *

Sasuke Sarutobi, or the Third Hokage as he was known to most, cared about the entire village of Konoha. However, while he watched over all of his "children," there were two in particular that he'd found highly intriguing. Itachi Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. 

One he had expected to take a great interest in. After all, Naruto was not only the human prison for the Kyuubi, but he was the son of one of Sarutobi's closest friends. And even if one was to ignore his circumstances, the boy was entertaining enough all on his own. A handful, certainly, but an entertaining one. Few people in Konoha would have the nerve to treat the Third Hokage like nothing more than another old man, rather than the highly powerful military and political figure that he was. It was refreshing, really, even if the child may have had the worst sense of timing in anyone he'd ever seen.

The other, however, he hadn't seen coming. In his wildest dreams, he never would have imagined that the prodigy of the Uchiha clan would take on a role that involved supervising Konoha's number one most annoying prankster. Yet every time Naruto was in trouble, the eleven year old Sharingan master seemed to be there to drag him out of it. He hadn't discussed it with many, but even the most observant of those he'd spoken with couldn't figure out why Itachi was so attached to Naruto. At first, he'd feared that the boy was going to make an attempt at assassinating the child where others before him had failed. After all, like many others in Konoha, those in the Uchiha clan had lost several of their own to the Kyuubi's unexpected assault on the village. Yet after time, and seeing how the two interacted, that certainly didn't appear to be the case.

So he didn't find it all that surprising when, as he often saw while observing either of the two, Itachi had once again calmed the crowd chasing Naruto after his latest prank, only to let the boy go with advice and a warning. Nor was he surprised when Naruto ignored the advice, and decided to stuff himself with ramen at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. What he was surprised to see was Itachi returning to the Uchiha compound, only to return minutes later with his younger brother Sasuke close behind. Even more so when Itachi took his brother to the Uchiha private training grounds, and started teaching him the signs needed for the Uchiha's signature fire jutsu.

He didn't enjoy invading other people's private lives, so unless it was absolutely necessary, he never attempted to view anyone while in their own homes. However, it was getting late, and Itachi was taking an unexpected detour. One leading to Naruto's apartment complex. He couldn't help but be suspicious, given that only moments before he'd displayed an uncharacteristic affection towards his brother, and he'd been wandering around with a distracted expression for a significant portion of the day. So against his normal policy, he decided to listen in on the conversation between the prodigy and the blond demon container. And as it came to an end, for the first time in several years, the Third Hokage was genuinely surprised.

Minutes later, Kakashi Hatake and several of Konoha's other ANBU agents were in his office, preparing to carry out his orders.

* * *

Itachi hadn't taken long to reach Naruto's apartment. It wasn't an especially well taken care of place, so it was pretty hard to miss. Knocking on the door, he heard a brief rustling before Naruto appeared at the door, clearly surprised to see Itachi so close to the evening.

"Hey freaky eyes, what's up?"

Ignoring the semi-insulting term for the Sharingan, as he often forced himself to when dealing with the boy, he decided he probably shouldn't be as blunt as he had with Sasuke. "Naruto, have you noticed how the villagers have been acting lately?"

"Crazy?"

"I suppose you could put it that way. They've been getting angrier over less. I'm sure you're aware of this."

A slightly hurt look passed through Naruto's face, before being replaced by the same fox-like grin he often wore. "Yeah, crazy. That's what I said."

"…How would you feel about taking a little trip."

"You mean like around town? Are we getting ramen?"

_So single minded_."I was thinking more along the lines of getting out of the village. Doing a little traveling. Letting you see the world, and giving the villagers time to…Cool off." _And time for you to learn how to take care of yourself. Hiding under that sheet won't work forever, regardless of how effective it seems to be now. I could use some time to clear my head as well._

"Really!? No kidding?"

"Yes, really."

"You're sure?" Even as he asked, he had already started for his small bedroom to grab his backpack.

"Completely. Pack light, we'll need to travel fast." As Naruto started filling his pack with ramen, he pasued.

"Why?"

"Because this trip isn't exactly authorized."

Suddenly he wasn't packing anymore.

"But…Won't we get in trouble?"

"You won't. As for me…Just let me be concerned about that." At Naruto's continued hesitation, he nodded towards the pack in his hands. "I'm serious. It's nothing to be concerned with." Naruto shrugged and began packing again, though he still looked unsure. Once he was finished, and Itachi had made sure he had done more than just stuff the pack with ramen, they left for the entrance to the village.

_Now we just need to avoid trouble until we're clear of Konoha._

* * *

Kakashi Hatake was a laid back man in the public eye. He could often be found walking the streets with his nose buried in the latest volume of the Make-Out series, a perverted giggle escaping his mask-covered mouth on occasion. He was constantly late to nearly anything or anyone he was supposed to join, and was rarely seen doing something remotely productive.

There was no sign of that man right now. When it came to ninja business, Kakashi Hatake tolerated no nonsense. That he had a personal connection to this particular job as well as a professional one made his less commonly seen side even more pronounced. As the other ANBU left, preparing for the unexpected mission, he stayed behind a moment to speak with the Hokage.

"I don't like to question your orders, Lord Hokage, but are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I believe it's the best course of action, yes."

Kakashi audibly sighed. Something he would only do in the Hokage's presence. "I just have my doubts."

"Trust me," the Hokage said calmly, his face wearing the seemingly all-knowing smile that all Hokage's seemed to possess, almsot always capable reassuring those around them. "It should work out just fine. If not, we'll fix it."

Kakashi gave a slight bow, before following the rest of the ANBU in their pursuit. It was only once Kakashi was out of the room, and he was sure there wasn't anyone else close enough to see him, that the Hokage let his relaxed, confident visage drop.

_I wish you were still here, Minato. I'm getting too old to handle these things._

* * *

Itachi had known they were being watched, even before they left the village. It hadn't surprised him, though, that they hadn't been stopped yet. If it came to violence as it often did when ninja were believed to be defecting, they wouldn't want any combat going on inside the city if it could be avoided. They would probably attempt to talk them out of leaving before resorting to force. It wasn't a required move of some sort, and it rarely worked on ninja truly intent on leaving, but it was generally considered an unofficial courtesy towards their ninja brethren.

And as he wasn't surprised that they were being followed, and he knew they weren't likely to start a fight immediately, it certainly wasn't surprising when two ANBU agents dropped to the path through the forest that Itachi and his young charge were walking, one in front of them, the other behind.

"Is there something you gentlemen need?"

"Itachi Uchiha. You haven't been cleared for travel, and we have reason to suspect you of treason. We're going to have to ask you to come with us."

"So a ninja can't take an associate on a trip without permission now, then?"

"You know this isn't about that. You can't ta-"

"Naruto. Could you find something to do? I need to talk with these men for a moment. Alone."

Now Naruto wasn't the most observant child. Aside from being six years old, few things could interest him long enough to hold his attention, unless they somehow involved painting certain clan compounds in his favorite colors, eating ramen, or driving the Hokage up the wall however he could. But Itachi's statement was quite clearly a command, and far from the question he made it out to be. Even Naruto wasn't oblivious to his tone. Not to mention that his eyes had changed.

Itachi was the only Uchiha that he ever saw with the clan's legendary Sharingan constantly activated, though he guess Itachi might not use it when he was alone. It was even the origin of his favorite nickname for his "freaky-eyed big brother." But for once, despite the fact that his eyes hadn't physically changed, he was pretty certain he finally saw what could send people three times Itachi's age shaking in the other direction. There was just something far more intimidating about the three-tomoed red eyes when the Uchiha prodigy wasn't pleased. So in yet another first, he decided that he should probably follow the order without trying to cause trouble.

_Besides_, Naruto thought, _he said to find something to do. Watching from the trees is doing something._

* * *

Well, that's chapter three. I'm postponing the inevitable fight scene until the next chapter. It's the first one I've written, so I'm trying to make sure it's at least passable. I hope Itachi isn't getting too OOC.

I look forward to more reviews.


	4. Apprentice: Stroll Through the Forest

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Glad to see people have taken some interest in this. I'm not very good with fight scenes, so I'd be grateful for any tips.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

Naruto couldn't hear a thing, and it was driving him crazy. Why did Freaky-eyes have to be so quiet? Of course, the problem might have been that he was only close enough to make out their outlines. It had gotten dark pretty quick, and he wanted to see what was going on, but something was telling him he might not want to get too close.

He would soon find out what it was, as he was suddenly grabbed from behind, a hand clamping over his mouth with an iron grip.

* * *

As Naruto disappeared into the forest, Itachi brought his full attention to the man in front of him.

"Please, continue. I'm very interested in hearing exactly why I'm not permitted to take my young associate on a little vacation." He inwardly smirked, hoping that the desire to bring Naruto and himself back to the village peacefully would override whatever it was that kept them from explaining what it was that every adult in town seemed to fear about the boy.

"I said it already. We have evidence that you might be attempting to defect. Just come along peacefully. If you're cleared, you're free to go. If not, then you could at least lessen your sentence." It didn't seem as though he would be getting the answer right now. _A pity.__ And __here __we could have ended this peacefully._ He knew that they wouldn't keep talking forever, and Naruto was being pretty obvious about his location, despite what he may have thought. Strange, considering how easy it was for him to hide in the village.

It seemed as though the ANBU agent in front of him had come to the same conclusion he had. It was time to drop the courtesies, and get to business. Allowing the kunai knife he'd slipped into his right sleeve earlier to drop to his hand, he leaped at the agent in front of him as the one behind him drew his own kunai. Making a quick swipe that he knew the agent would dodge, he ducked towards the trees at his right as the second agent's kunai flew above his head, hoping reinforcements wouldn't be arriving for the two.

* * *

Both agents quickly followed, catching up to him moments later as he came to a stop on a tree branch just in front of them. Knowing how quickly their young opponent was supposedly capable of using the Uchiha's signature jutsu, the first agent let loose half a dozen shuriken in quick succession, as the second sped through the hand seals to use the technique they were so concerned with opposing.

As Itachi twisted, ducked, and leapt to the branch just above him to the shuriken, he suddenly heard the rushing sound that was so familiar from his training, and took a split second to glare towards the oncoming flame before throwing himself down off of the branch, landing somewhat shakily on the ground below him. As the two agents landed in front of him yet again, the first bringing the traditional katana used by ANBU downward in a strike that Itachi managed to block with the dull edge of his only other shuriken as the second began going through the seals for the Great Fireball again, Itachi let himself grin for a moment.

_Yes, I think that would work just fine_

For a split second, the agent forcing Itachi to maintain the blade lock looked confused, not understanding why the eleven year old boy would suddenly be grinning at him. In the back of his mind, a memory of one of the few Uchiha in ANBU mentioning something about how the little prodigy of their clan was working on a new technique. At first, he wasn't sure why the thought had come up, but when exactly what the technique was supposed to do caught up with his mind, it was almost too late. While he immediately broke the lock and tried to jump away, the force of the blast knocked him forward through a tree, seeing his companion being throw in the other direction shortly before the impact. Before he blacked out, one thought ran through his mind.

_I underestimated the kid. But damn that was a good performance._

* * *

Naruto didn't like being manhandled. He doubted anyone did. It was the unbelievably annoying feeling of someone much bigger and much stronger hauling you around like a bag of old fruit. So when he was released, he was fully prepared to turn around and give his attacker a piece of his mind. That is, until he saw the unique red eyes of the Uchiha, and turned back towards the place he'd last seen Itachi so fast he thought his head might spin off.

_What the heck_

"Come on, and try not to make too much noise."

Turning to follow, Naruto tried to be quiet, but it was hard when he was trying to figure out how Itachi seemed to be in two places at once.

* * *

Kakashi sat near the top of a tree deeper into the forest, his Sharingan eye looked back towards the encounter that was taking place. Glancing down as he saw Itachi enter the small clearing below, Naruto just behind him, he looked up towards the path where the fight was occurring again. A shadow clone? Not impossible, given that Itachi was well on his way to being a Jonin, but why would he risk them discovering it too early. Suddenly, there was an explosion from where his men had been fighting, sending debris everywhere.

Kakashi whistled, impressed. _Too bad the kid is leaving. I'd like to learn that little trick. Really, and exploding shadow clone. Oh well, I'm sure they'll be fine._ Deciding it was time to make his entrance, he used the body flicker when entering the clearing, fully prepared to make himself known in a way that only Kakashi Hatake could.

* * *

"Yo."

The voice caused Naruto to twist around, falling on his backside as the Jonin seemed to appear out of nowhere, still holding Make-Out Paradise in one hand. Itachi had already noticed him, Sharingan ever vigilant and catching the man's exaggerated movements. _Purposefully exaggerated, probably.__ He is a __Jonin__ after all._

"It took you long enough to get down here, Ka-"

"Hey broom head, the hell was that all about?" Both men turned to look at the blond that was apparently trying his best to make their ears bleed.

"He's a strange one, isn't he?" Kakashi half-asked, half-stated as he turned back to Itachi, placing the perverted novel back in the pouch at his side.

"Hn." Itachi didn't want to agree with the Jonin, but really…

"Don't ignore me! Hey, broom head, I'm talkin' t-"

Tuning Naruto's rambling out, Itachi turned back to the silver-haired man. "Kakashi Hatake. You're going to try to stop me too, I suppose?"

"Hey, I'd love to be at home right now. But orders are orders. You know how it is, right. Would have been easier if you'd just gone with them." Indeed he did. It came with being a ninja.

"They couldn't even tell it was a clone."

"Hey, not everyone has the Sharingan, kid." _But they still shouldn't have underestimated him. They're ANBU. They should be more serious, whether they're fighting a kid, or the __Hokage__ himself._

Kakashi suddenly disappeared from sight, and Itachi readied himself. _Body flicker.__ But where did he go…_Suddenly, he leapt to the side as Kakashi seemed to fly out of the ground. Aware that Kakashi wouldn't have tried something like that on someone with the Sharingan, he grabbed Naruto by the shirt and tossed him back towards the forest. As he looked back to his opponent, he saw the finishing signs for the Great Fireball, and ran through the necessary signs so quickly his hands were nearly blurs, barely managing to counteract the move with his own fireball.

The "contest" between the walls of flame held up for only a few moments, before both combatants suddenly pulled back. Making a quick seal, Itachi summoned two more shadow clones, intending to finish the battle quickly, or at least to distract the more experience man. Sending the two clones at his opponent, he prepared to use the technique he liked to call the Bunshin Daibakuha, the Clone Great Explosion. _I just need enough cover to grab __Naruto__ and run_. Just as he was going to activate it, the clones burst into clouds of smoke.

"Y'know, you shouldn't try the same technique twice. I became the captain for a reas-"

Kakashi never finished the sentence. As the smoke from the clones began to clear, the ground in front of him exploded, knocking him back along the ground.

* * *

As soon as the fireball had hit the ground in front of the older man, Itachi had rushed back to Naruto, hauled the boy over his shoulder, and took off, ignoring the kid's ranting about how "awesomely super cool that fire thing was." But before he got too far, he glanced back over his shoulder at the Jonin, who was now calmly sitting back on the branch of the tree, pulling out a book. Looking up, he gave Itachi a quick half-hearted salute, before turning back to the perverted novel.

About twenty minutes later Naruto, having gotten bored with talking about the fight between his freaky-eyed big brother and the pervy broom head, had started questioning why they were being chased in the first place. Deciding they could probably stop and set up camp, he lowered Naruto on the ground, and sat down in front of him. It was time for him to do a little explaining. Besides, he was tired as hell. Using several shadow clones and the Great Fireball several times in quick succession was stressful, to say the least.

* * *

Meanwhile, one Sasuke Sarutobi was sitting in his office feeling rather pleased with the situation, having just heard the silver-haired Jonin finish his report. The unpleasant grunt work was done, and now the two boys were free to do as they pleased. Of course, they would still have to deal with the Uchiha's queries about their prodigy's "defection" and make it appear as though they were still actually hunting the two, but he figured it was worth it.

After all, for once Naruto might learn to have some fun that didn't involve the public humiliation of important figures in the village, or vandalizing public property. The village got some peace, the Uchiha boy had some time to grow stronger on his own, and the number one most annoying prankster got to go outside of the village that he would have otherwise been confined to unless he became a ninja.

There was also a problem in that as soon as word got around, and it always did, there would be countless ninja, mercenaries, and bounty hunters intent on collecting for two children. However, he was certain they could keep word from spreading until Itachi and Naruto could manage it. At the very least, they could stall by manipulating the story, keeping up the illusion that they were "pursuing" the two for a few weeks, or send someone like Kakashi or Anko to keep watch over them if something went wrong.

_Yes, this has turned out very well so far. I hope it stays that way._

* * *

The fight sequences could probably use some touching up. I might go back and rewrite the scenes a bit, but for now my focus is less on fight scenes, and more on helping the story to progress. I'm always open to suggestions, criticism, or whatever else people have to say. 


	5. Apprentice: An Offer

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: There were some things in the previous chapter that were a bit odd. I was planning to add the explanation to the other chapter, but it was getting a bit lengthier than I intended, so I decided to cut it off with a glance at the Hokage.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

As the Third Hokage allowed himself to rest and relax for a short time, before the inevitable storm known as the Uchiha Clan turned on his office for information on the little spark that escaped from the fire, Itachi was handling having his own problems.

For example, figuring out how to explain their current situation to Naruto.

_Are all children so difficult to communicate with, or is it just because they're the ones I'm associated with?_ As Itachi tried to find a simple explanation, Naruto had started on yet another line of questioning.

"So you're like, an uber fighter right? That's why you kicked so much butt, right? How strong are you? How did you make another you? Could you take the Hokage? Are you the best in your clan? What was that fire thing? How did that pervy broom head pop out of nowhere? Are-"

"Naruto." He'd suddenly stopped talking, clearly expecting an answer.

"I'm not as good as you'd think."

"But you kicked their a-"

"Only because they weren't trying to win." It was a blow to his ego, but he could acknowledge it when he was simply outmatched. And it made sense, considering how the Hokage seemed to feel the same about protecting Naruto as he did.

"What?" He was clearly confused.

"I fought three. There were at least five more in the forest observing us. Of the three I fought, they used less than half a dozen ninjutsu techniques, the most prominent of which was one they knew I was intimately familiar with. They barely ever attempted to engage in melee combat, and they weren't even looking hard enough to recognize that I'd used a shadow clone."

"You mean the other you?"

"It's called a shadow clone, or if you prefer, a kage bunshin. I'll explain it later, if you'd like to learn about it." I'm getting off subject. "Either way, they weren't fighting nearly as effectively as they could have. Kakashi-" As Itachi spoke, he stood to gather some rocks. It was growing cooler, and he doubted Naruto would be happy about it. He also doubted Naruto would be quiet about it if that was the case.

"Broom Head?"

"Yes." _What is this obsession with nicknames? Does every child do this?_ "As I was saying, Kakash may act lazy and uninterested, but he's an incredibly skilled shinobi. He's most recognized, and feared, in combat for knowing over one thousand techniques. He was also supposedly a favored student of the Fourth Hokage." At this, Naruto looked as if he was ready to explode with excitement, probably because he'd "met" someone who was actually a student of the Fourth. He was a legend, and many people still idolized him. Even if he didn't idolize him as before, Itachi still held the utmost respect for the man.

"There are a hundred ways in which they could have easily won that battle," he couldn't help the angry sarcasm that slipped into his voice at the word battle, frustrated at his weakness. "And they didn't take advantage of any of them. The simple fact of the matter is that if they truly wanted us dead or captured, we would be." _And it would be my fault._

"So if they're not after us, why'd they fight you?"

_I wish I knew for certain. All I have is a theory, but it'll have to do for now. At least he's paying attention._ "…They were probably just trying to keep up appearances. People are likely going to be curious, and the Uchiha wouldn't believe I'd leave without a fight of some kind. Now they have proof that there was a struggle, and the Hokage doesn't have to lie when he tells them that they confronted us. He just doesn't have to mention that it was more of a half-hearted, poorly executed spar rather than a life or death showdown." Having set up the beginnings of the campfire, he began gathering the wood needed to fuel it.

"So they were faking it to look good?"

"Maybe to make us look good." _That should be enough to keep it going for a little while._

"Huh?" Sitting back down, Itachi began to set up the little campfire.

"I won't lie to you. The Hokage can 'chase' us for a rather significant amount of time, but eventually someone will have to notify the other villages that there's a missing-nin on the loose, or someone will slip word to a mercenary, or a bounty hunter of some kind."

He paused, making a single seal, and letting a small jet of flame ignite the fuel he'd been gathering.

"It would be much better to make us, or at the least me, seem more dangerous than we actually are. Few men would be willing to fight someone, even a child, who was capable of not only evading Kakashi of the Sharingan and seven other elite ANBU agents, but disabling several of them as well. Even the Jonin would be cautious, and make sure they were prepared."

Naruto didn't speak for a little while, his face scrunching up as if trying hard to concentrate on something. Itachi didn't doubt it would have something to do with the threat of being attacked. He was right, as Naruto decided how to ask his question. "But…You could take 'em, right?"

Looking the nervous boy in the eye, he answered without pause. "Yes." _I don't know how, but I won't break my promise. If they attack us, they die._ "I will." Though he gave Itachi an odd glance at first, the answer seemed to satisfy him.

They sat there for a few minutes, not saying anything. Itachi was perfectly comfortable gazing into the fire and losing himself in his thoughts, while Naruto simply found something to amuse himself. Apparently he'd taken to the idea of bothering a small, highly unfortunate toad with a stick.

For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, the blond boy looked up at him again, clearly intending to ask a question. Itachi gave him his full attention. _I've placed him in a lot of danger, with this trip. He at least deserves some answers._

"So…You never did tell me about that shadow clone thing. Or how Broom Head popped out of nowhere. Or how you did that fire thing." _So it's ninjutsu that he's curious about. Certainly easier to answer._

"You've started the academy, am I correct?" He should be. Naruto was old enough to at least start on basic principles. As Naruto eagerly nodded, he decided to start with the one he was most familiar with. "Then you know about chakra?" Another set of quick nodding.

"Good. That 'fire thing' is called the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu. That's the official name, anyway. Most refer to it as the Great Fireball technique, or the Fireball Jutsu. It's a rather common ninjutsu technique that shinobi of the leaf tend to use. You gather a large amount of chakra, and release it in a flame as a sort of breath." Doing each seal as he spoke, he began to explain the seals necessary for the maneuver. As Naruto half-heartedly started practicing the first few seals, he decided to continue.

Over the next hour, he gave basic explanations of the techniques Naruto had seen. He seemed to understand the concepts well enough, but he would need a lot of training if he actually intended to put any of them to use. Itachi had no intention of teaching him the Kage Bunshin technique. It was dangerous for many adults to use, due to the physical and mental strain on the one using it. Even some of the best had trouble with the forbidden variant of the technique. The boy certainly had enough chakra, though, so he could probably get the regular, intangible bunshin down easily enough.

"Naruto," the boy looked up from his hands, half way through the signs for the Great Fireball technique. "I once heard you say that you wanted to be the Hokage." He turned his gaze back towards the fire. "Why do you want that, with how the villagers treat you?"

"Because when you're Hokage, everybody respects you! They have to!"

"…Respect." A humorless laugh escaped his lips. "What does respect really get you."

"Whattya mean?"

_It's useful, but pointless._ "Do you really want their respect," I did, "Or is it something else that you want from them?" Is it acceptance? Loyalty? Friendship?

"What else would I want?"

"…Does Sasuke, respect you? Or the two who run Ichiraku's?"

Naruto hesitated before starting, but stopped again. "Well I, uh, I guess they might? I mean they…I think...No." _They don't. Teuchi and Ayame, the Hokage, they might respect your cheerfulness in the face of so much hate, but not your abilities, your titles._

"So what is it you want from them. Do you want what you have with them? With Sasuke, and the Hokage? Or do you want someone random on the street to know your rank? Because that's all that simply being respected gets you." He was looking at Naruto again. "So what is it you want?"

"I want…I want them to love me." _So that was it._ "Anything else?" _Perhaps what made your father who he was? _Naruto thought for several minutes, before he spoke up again, far more confident in his answer than before. "I want to protect them. I want to be Hokage to protect them."

"Good answer. Now go to sleep. We'll be getting up early tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do." _Now he has the right goal in mind._ "Hey freaky eyes."

"Hm?" _What could he still want?_

"…Thanks." Much more genuine than his usual thanks.

"Of course."

* * *

Naruto had been asleep for several hours now. He couldn't bring himself to sleep. His thoughts kept coming back to their situation. _How am I supposed to protect him? I could barely protect myself against three ANBU who weren't even giving it their all. I need to become stronger. But how? I can learn more techniques, but few would willingly teach their secrets, so I would have to fight them. That means Naruto would be at risk. What can I do?_

"Well hello there, Itachi."

Whirling around in surprise, he noted the orange, spiral-like mask. Madara! _What would he be…Of course he'd be here. We've "defected" now._ He couldn't let him into his head. "Madara," _Don't look into his eye._ "What is it that brings you here?"

"There have been rumors spreading."

"In a few hours?" He wished he could see the face beyond the mask.

"Well, I've heard them."

"I've been thinking about what you said." _I agree. They're weak. Foolish. But that's not enough for what you're asking._

"No rush, my friend. I'm just here to give you an opportunity."

"An opportunity?" _What kind of "opportunity" does he think I would agree to?_

"An opportunity, to get stronger."

Reading my mind? "What is it."

"I'm part of an organization calling itself the Akatsuki. We're searching for some unique…People." _Unique how?_ Before he could even voice the question, Madara continued. "Unique individuals who contain some rather powerful creatures. Demons. They're much like human prisons, really. We call them Jinchuuriki."

_Demon…containers?_ "So what do you want from me?" A sinking feeling was forming in the pit of his stomach, as his mind began putting the pieces together.

"The Jinchuuriki containing the Kyuubi no Yoko, of course."

_Naruto. Naruto has the Kyuubi inside him._ He felt he should have known. There were so many signs…The villagers' irrational anger, a connection between Naruto and the fox, Minato wanting him to be a hero, his unnatural stamina, the love of mischief…Everything.

Madara had been saying something, but what…"Madara," his ancestor paused his speech. "What would happen to Naruto?"

"Well, 'his' plan would kill the boy. But I don't particularly feel like following his plan."

"Who is 'he'?"

"A pawn. But that's beside the point. You want the boy to remain safe? That's not a concern. I have no intention of harming the boy. He won't need the Kyuubi no Yoko for some time. Years, even. Without the other eight tailed beasts, the Kyuubi's power couldn't be contained. You'll have plenty of time to train him up all you want." He offered his hand.

_We'll have years…_Staring at the outstretched hand for a short time, he came to a decision.

* * *

AN: Thanks for the reviews, as per usual. I love to hear from my readers. I've got to say though, something about this chapter just felt…Off, to me. Anyway, looking forward to some more reviews.


	6. Apprentice: Catacombs

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Always enjoy the reviews. Glad to see people are liking it.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

Naruto had been having a strange dream, to say the least. It wasn't a surprise considering how often he had it. There were slight differences each time, but most of it went unchanged. There were rarely any images, but there were always feelings, sometimes even sounds. He was always being held by someone. Then there were voices that he couldn't identify, speaking in a quiet, calming tone that always soothed him. After that, however, the dreams always seemed to become an unchanging, constant nightmare.

He couldn't identify what it was, but he knew it wasn't good. The only thing he could think of to describe it would be evil. There was no love, no kindness, no friendship of any kind. Only pure rage, and an unyielding hatred. Perhaps the closest it came to happiness was the sheer sadistic sense of pleasure that seemed to be radiating everywhere throughout the dream. It was the only time that Naruto could "see" something, though there wasn't much to see. Just a seemingly endless flood of red energy surrounding him, smothering him for what felt like hours…And that's where it always ended.

But Naruto really wasn't one to ponder such things. So while his dreams had run their course, he gave them little thought as he woke up, the only thing catching his attention being the Uchiha sitting across from him. Staring at him.

_What's up with Freaky Eyes? Stare's __creepin__' me out._

* * *

Itachi had been up watching the boy in front of him all night. He couldn't help it. It wasn't every day that one learned their charge was the living prison for one of the most powerful beings known to exist. For a short time he'd wandered if Naruto was aware of the creature, but quickly banished the thought. Naruto genuinely didn't know why the villagers seemed to hate him, and even he wouldn't have trouble making a connection that obvious.

This also brought up the question of whether he should tell Naruto about his current tenant. One of the most obvious problems was that he didn't know anything about how the Kyuubi was sealed. If it was asleep, or unaware, then there wouldn't be any risk if Naruto didn't know. But didn't he deserve to know why everyone in his home seemed to hate him. And what if the Kyuubi was aware of the circumstances, and just biding its time until it could find a way to control him, or break free from its container? Then there was the question of how Naruto would react. What would he do if he knew that he was involved in the Fourth Hokage's death? It couldn't be good for him to get stuck on that idea, especially with how much he seemed to adore the former Hokage.

Either way, he didn't have time to make a decision right then. Naruto had woken up, and it was time to get moving. They still had a few hours before most people in the village would begin waking up, so they needed to put as much space between Konoha and themselves as possible.

"Naruto. Time to go."

"Uh, sure. Right. Where we goin' exactly?"

"I was thinking of adding a few water jutsu to my arsenal. How does the Land of Waves sound?"

He was already running down the path. "C'mon freaky eyes, what's takin' so long!"

"Naruto."

"C'mon c'mon c'mon. Come on already!"

Itachi pointed towards a trail at his left. "The path to the Land of Waves is that direction."

"Oh." And suddenly he was flying in the direction of the Land of Waves, Itachi following close behind. _At least he's enthusiastic. And fast._

* * *

A few hours later, the Third Hokage was already getting tired of dealing with a certain clan. The first few had been simple to deal with. Unfortunately, while the first of the Uchihas had simply been curious, wondering where the quiet boy they were so proud of had disappeared to, the rest of the clan had quickly been up in arms at the Hokage's office, demanding an explanation. As Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha burst into the room, clearly having heard the rumors, the Hokage couldn't help but let out a sigh, not really caring who heard him.

_The things I do for you, Minato. You owe me._

* * *

While the Third Hokage was dealing with the angry and worried rants of various members of the Uchiha clan, one particular Uchiha felt no compulsion to go demand answers from the the elderly leader. Sasuke Uchiha was far too busy at his family's training grounds, taking advantage of the absence of a significant portion of his family to get some practice in. Eventually he'd tell them, but he wanted to have the Great Fireball more developed before revealing that he'd been training. The only indication that he'd been training were the few small burns spread around his hands and face, but those were easy to treat and cover up.

_I will become stronger. I will be the best._

Going through the seals yet again, he let another small jet of flame loose, waiting to see how long he could hold it.

* * *

Naruto had a lot of energy, Itachi would give him that. He'd been following behind his charge for the whole trip, trying to come to a decision on whether or not to tell him about a certain demonic fox. But they'd been travelling for several hours, and the boy was clearly slowing down. Probably wanted to stuff himself with ramen.

_I honestly have no idea how he can stand to eat so much of that__. Either way, we should be far enough away to take a break_ "Naruto," the boy quickly stopped, glancing back at him. "Time to eat."

Apparently it was the right thing to say. As Naruto dug around in his backpack, apparently trying to decide which flavor of cup ramen would be the best at this hour, Itachi decided he should probably start up a fire. Naruto was bound to eat the ramen eventually, regardless of whether or not it was prepared. Watching as the boy pulled out a small container of water to pour it into the cup, he couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly convenient it was that he was carrying all that he needed to make ramen, saving Itachi the work of fixing anything but the fire.

As Naruto began his meal, Itachi let himself wander into his thoughts. _Maybe I don't need to tell him to find out if the __Kyuubi__ is aware. People have been known to look into another's thoughts with the __Sharingan__. Perhaps I can find something in __Naruto's__ subconscious min__d…__Yes,__ I could give that a shot._

"Naruto." The young blond finished off the cup before giving Itachi his attention. "There's something I've been meaning to test out. Would you mind being my test subject?"

"What're ya gonna do?"

"The Sharingan is supposed to be able to look into another person's thoughts. I just need to take a peek into your mind."

"My mind?" He didn't look too sure about that.

"Yes. It shouldn't be too uncomfortable." _I hope._

"I guess…Ya sure it won't hurt?"

"Yes. You shouldn't feel a thing." _Shouldn't being the key word. I've never tried to enter someone's mind before._

"Okay…What, uh, what do I need to do?"

"Just relax. Look into my eyes." _I hope this works. _He focused for a moment, and then felt a pull, before the world went dark.

When he "woke up" he wasn't sure how long it had been. But seeing as he was in a strange system of tunnels, like a catacomb of some sort, he imagined his plan must have worked. Hearing a groan from behind him, he turned to see that there was, in fact, a problem with his plan. Naruto was here with him. _This could end badly._

Standing up, Naruto glanced around, trying to figure out where he was. Noticing Itachi looking down at him, he figured asking the older boy would be the easiest way to find out.

"Where the heck are we?" _We were in the forest a minute ago. Wasn't he __gonna__ look in my head? Wait a minute._ "Is this my head?"

"That seems to be the case." _How did __Naruto__ get in here?_ Itachi looked around, distracted by the strange surroundings.

"So are we like, looking for something?" _What'd we be looking for in my head?_

"Yes. I suppose we are." _But you weren't supposed to be here._

"What?"

So Itachi made a decision. "…Have you ever wondered just how the Fourth Hokage defeated the Kyuubi no Yoko?" _He should know._

"What's that gotta do with anything?" _Where'd that come from?_

"He couldn't kill it. Nobody could."

_What's he talking about? _"But he did ki-"

"I'm afraid he didn't, despite what you may have been told." _Maybe we should have told you earlier._

"Then what happened?" _Where did it go? And how did the __Hokage__ die?_

"…On the night of the attack, the Hokage was desperate to save the village. He knew of a special technique of some kind, I'm not sure what. He couldn't defeat the Kyuubi, so he did the next best thing. He sealed it away."

"Where?"

_In you._ "There was a child born that day, just as the Kyuubi was beginning its attack. I'm not sure if that was a necessary condition, but that child was the one they used." Naruto looked..._Thoughtful. He's probably already begun to put the pieces together._

"What happened to him?"

"He was supposed to be a hero." _And he is, even if he doesn't know it._

"But he wasn't."

"Not to the villagers. They were blinded by their ignorance, and they needed something to blame." _I'm sorry._

"It's me." _I'm a monster._

"Yes."

"So I'm the Kyuubi then." They_ have a reason to hate me?_

"No." _Not like you're probably thinking._

"Then what am I?" _Not a monster? Then what?_

"A container. A living prison, to keep the Kyuubi from harming anyone else. We call these containers Jinchuuriki. A hero, really." _I hope you can come to understand that._

"A hero…" _Not a monster then._

"Indeed. Personally chosen by the Fourth Hokage himself, even."

"Wow…" _He chose me personally? __So. __Freaking.__ Cool! Wait, so is that..._"That's why you wanted into my head?"

"Yes." _I needed to see it._

"Think the fox is around here somewhere?" _I wonder what it's like._

"That's what I intended to check. I don't know whether or not the beast is aware. I wanted to know for sure." _Then I would have decided if I should__ tell you or keep silent. __Too late for that now._

"Well, let's find it then."

* * *

_Where could that accursed fox be? The boy and I have been walking around in here for too long. You'd think something like that would be easier to find._ Itachi was getting tired of walking around. It wasn't as though he couldn't continue, but it felt as if they'd been walking through the tunnels for hours, and they still hadn't seen any signs of their goal.

He was just about to tell Naruto he was going to pull out of his mind when it happened. A flare of chakra from around the next corner forced his attention, and he ran to find the source, in case it could escape somehow. He hadn't been expecting the gigantic cage, nothing besides a small seal holding the barred doors shut. Nor had he been expecting the grinning face behind the bars, the teeth alone nearly as tall as himself. He was about to grab Naruto and run, when a booming voice spoke out.

_**"Well, well, well. What do we have here? ****Those eyes…The Sharingan.**** Tell me boy, how are the Uchiha these days? How is that accursed man with a chakra more sinister than even my own?"**_ And for the first time in his life, Itachi was completely frozen in fear. He'd only heard the Kyuubi no Yoko once before, in its final cry as it was forced into its prison, but it had been chilling even from a distance. Being directly addressed by the beast up close was…Well, it was downright terrifying. 

"Yo furball!"

And both his attention, as well as the fox's, turned towards the small blond boy behind him.

_**"And this must be my jailer. Come now, 'kit' tell me your name"** _The fox spoke, not even trying to hide mocking sarcasm on the word kit.

"The name's Naruto! And don't call me kit, Furball!"

Itachi was baffled, to say the least. _What the hell is he doing?_

"Listen up, fuzzy. The Hokage himself locked you up in my head. That means I'm the boss here!" _I'm the prison, so I'm the boss!_

The fox let out a low chuckle, grin widening._ **"Cocky little brat, aren't you? Perhaps you can make my stay more amusing than I first thought. Very well, my 'master,'"**_ it chuckled yet again on the word master._ **"What is it that you've come for?"**_

"I, uh…I dunno." He looked up at Itachi.

_Well, it was my idea to come here._ Taking a moment to calm himself before speaking, he responded "I'm checking up on this prison of yours. And I wanted to know how aware you were of your…situation."

**_"Well you have the answer. Now leave me. Entertaining as your fear may be, I would rather not stay in the presence of an Uchiha for long unless it's dead or dying."_**

That was fine with him. "Naruto, let's leave." He wasn't quite as confused as to how Naruto was so fearless in the face of the fox. As a child, he would naturally assume that if the fox was behind a cage made by the Hokage, a cage in his mind no less, then it must have meant that it couldn't touch him. Itachi wasn't sure if that was true, but it might have helped that the Kyuubi found Naruto so amusing. Yes, amusing. Like a chew toy. Expecting the pull at his mind this time around, he didn't lose consciousness as he left the catacombs of Naruto's mind.

As Naruto sat up, taking a few moments to glance around at the clearing they'd stopped in, he stretched out his arms. It didn't look like much time had passed at all, but it had certainly felt that way. Shaking his head, he looked up at Itachi.

"So Freaky Eyes, we gonna go to the Land of Waves or not?" He felt strangely energized, after talking to the fox.

"Hm. Yes, let's." Well, it shouldn't take too long to get there. As Naruto took off, he couldn't ignore the thoughts brought about by the Kyuubi's comment. _A chakra more sinister than his own? It must be Madara. But how does he know Madara Uchiha?_

* * *

AN: Well, there it is. Hope it was to your liking. If it was, or if it wasn't, I'd be glad to hear about it. 


	7. Apprentice: Making Waves

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Sorry for the long wait. Unfortunately, college has been doing a good job of thoroughly kicking the crap out of me for the last one or two weeks. But it's starting to lighten up a little, so here we go.

P.S. - My forum now has a section for this story, for anyone interested.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

_The Land of Waves._ They'd finally arrived. They still hadn't reached any of the villages in the land, of course. But it was good to know that they'd at least arrived in the general area.

It had been a week since they'd left for the Land of Waves, and they'd finally arrived. There really hadn't been any exceptionally interesting happenings since they met the Kyuubi. It hadn't contacted either of them, there hadn't been any sign of Konoha's shinobi following them, and they hadn't had any encounters with enemy ninja of any sort.

It was starting to make Itachi paranoid.

He wasn't expecting word to get out to the other villages too quickly. The Hokage could easily prevent that by having them "tracked" by their own ninja. It was a sort of unspoken agreement among the various hidden villages that a missing-nin wouldn't be targeted by other villages until either their village of origin had ceased actively pursuing them, the missing-nin caused trouble in the their villages, or the other villages believed the hunt had taken too long. It was hardly an official act, but it was a way to take shots at other villages without actual battles occurring. It was damaging to a village's reputation when they couldn't catch one of their own ninja, but another village could.

Still, there should have been someone who had received word by now. Bounty hunters, mercenaries, wandering soldiers looking for a job…Something should have been after them, even if it was just some genin or rejected chuunin out to make their names known. What made it worse was that they were in a forest where they could easily be ambushed. Or at least, as easily as it could be to ambush an eleven year old Sharingan master and the living vessel of the most powerful demon known to man. But most people either weren't aware of those facts, or for some strange reason, had a tendency to underestimate them.

"I'm hungry."

Allowing his eyes to shift from their surroundings to Naruto, he noted that the boy looked like he was starting to get irritable. He was like a bottomless pit, and he'd run out of ramen the last morning. He still stuffed himself with whatever they found, but apparently going without ramen for more than two meals in a row was too much for the pit to tolerate.

"We'll be stopping soon."

"Where?"

"There should be a small village nearby." He'd memorized the locations of the less recognized villages and towns on the maps he'd examined in Konoha.

"How long?"

"Around an hour. Two at the most."

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Naruto began kicking a small stone in front of him as he walked.

_Oh yes. Definitely getting irritable._

* * *

**One hour later…**

On one hand, he was happy. The village was in sight, so it wouldn't be much longer. On the other hand, they'd run into a couple of thugs claiming that they needed to pay a toll to get past this point, and Itachi wasn't planning to pay some clearly bogus fee. He'd been arguing with the first one, a tall, slightly gangly man with greasy dark hair brushing his shoulders, for several minutes now.

"That's how it is kid. Pay the toll, or ya don't pass."

"We're not paying just to walk into town." _This is a waste of time._

"That's right. Yer payin' for us not to beat ya to a pulp, then take yer money anyway."

"I'm going through. One way, or another." The man wasn't remotely intimidating, nor was his quiet, overly-muscled companion. Not to a former Shinobi of the Leaf, anyway. They each held a slightly worn katana at their sides. Probably former military, or possibly just washouts who didn't make it. Either way, they weren't likely to be anything but a minor nuisance.

The thug laughed at that, clearly not realizing that the boy in front of him was a ninja. "Look what we got here! A little tough guy. Alright brat, let's see if ya can walk as big as ya talk."

The man charged him with his right fist reared back for a punch, not even drawing the sword at his side. Itachi sighed tiredly, grabbing the man's right fist with his left hand as he brought it forward to strike, before jabbing his own right fist into the man's gut. As he began to collapse, gasping for breath, Itachi calmly grabbed the man's katana, yanking it upward, driving the bottom of the hilt upwards into his jaw. As the man dropped to the ground unconscious, he turned his eyes to the thug's companion. As soon as they made eye contact, the burly man ran off in the other direction, towards the village.

"Let's go." _Waste of time._

"Finally. I want food. Now."

Well then, food it was. He made a note that Naruto didn't seem remotely surprised at how quickly he disposed of the man. Oh well. It wasn't that important anyway.

* * *

"Sweet, sweet ramen."

Ignoring his companion's ramblings, he focused on his own bowl. He'd long since given up trying to tell the boy not to eat so fast. He'd been practically inhaling ramen by the bowl for years, so it wasn't likely to kill him now. As Naruto downed his fifth bowl of miso ramen, Itachi considered trying to find a job of some kind. Because at the rate Naruto was wolfing down ramen, he doubted he'd be able to keep paying for it much longer. Looking up at the elderly woman behind the counter, he decided he should at least ask about something temporary.

"Excuse me ma'am. Would you happen to know if there's any work available?"

"For someone you're age? I'm sorry sweety, but I don't know of anything you could do around here."

"…There were some thugs asking for a toll on the way here. I don't suppose anyone is looking for a bodyguard."

The woman gave a small, airy laugh. "Well, that's just real brave of you, young man. But we wouldn't want such a young boy getting into that kind of trouble. You don't want to get killed, do you?"

As Naruto slapped down his seventh bowl, Itachi felt that he probably should have silencedhis young friendbefore he could have continued.

"Yeah right! Like Freaky-Eyes would really lose to those goons. He's the best! Well, maybe not the best, best, but he's really good." At this, the woman smiled at the young blond, patting him on the head. Something that Itachi was certain would drive the boy mad.

"It's sweet that you think your friend here is so amazing, but Gato's men are more tha-"

"That's him! That's the little punk that beat up Yoshihiro!"

Turning his head just enough to see behind him, it seemed the muscled man from earlier had returned. _With a little extra company this time, as well._ Five of them this time, three wielding the same kind of wornkatanas that the man earlier had been carrying, two wielding small knives.

_Still a waste of time._

"Hey punk, we wanna have a word with you!" One of the five, a shorter man wielding one of the katana and wearing a red headband, stepped forward. Probably the "leader" of the little gang. Not giving them any attention, he took his time drinking what littlewas left of his ramen, and placed the bowl back on the counter. Naruto wasn't paying any attention at all.

"Thank you for the ramen. It was delicious."

"Hey you little brat, don't ignore me!"

One of the villagers stepped forward, a young man who looked like he was probably one of the many fishermen of the village, addressing the leader. He probably wanted to defend the "helpless" children.

"Hey, c'mon Moeta. He's just a kid. Can't you let him off just this on-"

"A word, you say." He turned in his seat, leaning back against the counter, hands resting in his lap. "Then by all means, feel free."

"Listen wise guy, nobody around here messes with us. Don't you know who we are?"

Itachi stayed silent, the only sign that he was even listening being the slight raise of his eyebrow. _You work for a businessman and criminal mastermind known only as Gato, who has more or less taken control of the entire Land of Waves._ He'd heard a little about this "Gato" in Konoha, but the few villagers he'd overheard filled in any gaps. Gato was just another thug bullying people weaker than him. An exceptionally wealthy and criminally intelligent bully, but a bully nonetheless.

"We work for Gatoh! Round here, we're the law."

_Yes, very original._ The villager who had tried to help them had backed into the forming crowd, most of which were trying to make it appear as though they weren't watching or listening in. Not many people stood up to Gato these days. Just Kaiza, really.

"I suppose I need to be punished for my actions then." He pushed off of the stool he'd been sitting on, calmly brushing himself off. He wouldn't normally be so animated about his confidence, especially had he been facing another ninja, but these men weren't much of a threat. Plus, it would make them angry, they would get sloppy, he could beat them down faster, and then he might be able to get back to doing something that wasn't a complete waste of his and Naruto's time.

As for Naruto, he'd finally noticed that something was going on. Looking back down to the counter, where he had yet another bowl of ramen ready from before the "lawmen" had arrived, he was having trouble making a decision. _Eat ramen, or watch Freaky-Eyes beat stuff up? Wait, what am I talking about?_ Picking up the bowl, he turned around in his seat to watch.

Angry that this little kid wasn't taking them seriously, Moeta unsheathed the katana and jumped forward, swinging the sword across Itachi's chest. Or at least, where his chest would have been, had he not suddenly disappeared.

"Where?" He heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground, and heard the sound again as he began to turn around. Seeing two of his men on thelying unconscious, swords not even out of their sheaths, he realized what he was dealing with.

_Shinobi._ Before he could call out to his companions to warn them, they'd already started at the boy.

The first made a lunge at the boy, who simply ducked underneath the strike, loosely gripping the man's arm and flipping him over his shoulder. He quickly yanked the man up by the arm, bringing his foot down hard against his head at the same time, rendering him unconscious.

As Itachi let go of the first, the second made a wide downward swing to his left as he came near, which Itachi easily evaded. Slipping to the man's right side and grabbing his hand as it went low, he pulled it upward, forcing the small blade into the thug's chest. Shoving him aside, he looked Moeta. Asthe former-gang's leader tensed,Itachi calmly brushed himself off again, before reaching into the small pouch at his side and pulling out a kunai.

"My punishment?" And in a flash, the man had grabbed his injured partner, the only other member of the group who was still conscious,and started running down the street, probably to plan yet another ill fated ambush. Walking over to the ramen stand and sitting down next to Naruto again, he placed his elbows onthe counter, fingers intertwining as he closed his eyes.

"May I have another, please?"

* * *

AN: Slightly shorter chapter than usual, but I felt like it was a good place to stop. Seeing as Spring Break is here, I'm hoping to get some more updates out to make up for the last couple weeks. We'll see how it goes. As always, I like reviews. So if you feel like dropping a word, I'd love to hear what you have to say...Oh c'mon, you know you want to. 


	8. Apprentice: Training

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Thanks for the reviews, as always. It's been brought to my attention that the manga states that Inari met Kaiza three years before T7 took the mission to the LoW. So we're bumping that back a bit.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"Are you sure this kid can handle it?"

They'd boarded a boat several hours before, when it was still dark, on its way to an island off the coast of the mainland. The real center of the Land of Waves. The vessel was relatively small for a shipping company, but they wanted to make it as painless as possible, and anything much larger would definitely get Gato's attention. He hadn't completely cut off shipping to the Land of Waves yet, though he clearly intended to, but he rarely let anything of significant size through.

That's why they'd hired Itachi.

After his little display, it hadn't taken long to get a job escorting some of the traders who wanted to do business in the area. With Gato beginning to cut the entire country off from outside trade, it's economy was taking a serious downturn. Unfortunately, they'd picked up some old man named Tazuna before they left, and he was definitely one of the more annoying clients Itachi had ever worked for.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't think he could." At least the boatman wasn't as annoying.

"He looks a bit scrawny. In fact, I think I saw a leaf that'd knock him down just the other day."

It also helped that Naruto had gotten bored and fallen asleep. He really didn't want to know what the boy would do if he heard Tazuna's ramblings. _He'd probably try to destroy the client, that's what._

"Trust me, the kid can handle whatever Gato throws at us."

"Hmph. Whatever you say." Lowering his voice to a mumble, he continued "Still a scrawny little kid though."

_I can hear you._

"Shouldn't be long now, kid." Nodding at the boatman as he and Tazuna walked into the small holding space below the deck, he kneeled and gave Naruto a little shake. How the kid could sleep on a wet bench that smelled like dead fish, he wasn't sure.

"Naruto." Shaking him a little harder. "Naruto." He could see that it wasn't working, and decided a less eloquent method was required. Standing, he grabbed the underside of the bench and flipped it over. The ensuing yelp was all the indication he needed that Naruto had woken up.

"Hey! Who-?! Oh, what's up Freaky-Eyes? How much longer?"

"We're almost there."

"You say that a lot."

"You ask me to tell you that a lot."

It was starting to get brighter out. The sun would probably be out in maybe an hour. Itachi was still fairly confident that nobody would attack them at the moment. Most of Gato's men would have to approach by ship, which they probably knew would undoubtedly catch his attention. As for any ninja he may have hired…As long as they were from the Mist, they were probably safe for a little longer.

The shinobi from Kirigakure didn't like attacking at night, because they were just as vulnerable as any other ninja. They preferred attacking in the day and using the mist, which most other ninja would be unfamiliar with, to their advantage. It was just like how those from Sunagakure used the desert sands to their advantage, or how those from Konohagakure could use forested environments more to their advantage. It wasn't infallible, but it did give them a slightly greater range of options than the ninja who were less familiar with those environments.

_Speaking of ninja…_"Naruto. I think we should continue your lessons from earlier." He'd taught Naruto the basic seals and the concepts for several techniques. But eventually, he'd need to teach him more than just concepts. And with the possibility of being faced by actual ninja becoming far more likely, he figured it was about time.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to teach you a little more about Ninjutsu." It should be simple with the Sharingan. He would be able to at least get an idea of what Naruto was doing wrong if he made a mistake.

"Sweet! So what am I gonna learn? That fireball jutsu? How to clone myself? Oh, oh, what about some kind of cool tornado thing? Ooh, or what about shooting some kinda ice spears? That sounds cool! Or maybe…" Naruto continued firing off questions about what he'd learn, each one getting considerably more extravagant and unrealistic.

"Naruto." The boy stopped, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"First you have to learn the basics. We'll start with the Bunshin no Jutsu." At that, Naruto's excited looked dimmed a little. _Naruto…You can't just start with the strongest techniques in the book._

"The what now?"

"The Bunshin no Jutsu. Or as most call it, the Clone Jutsu."

"So whats it do?"

"The clone technique creates intangible copies of the one using the technique."

"Intangible?"

"They can't touch anything or be touched. Illusions, really. Someone really good at noticing small details will be able to tell if they're real or clones by looking to see how they affect the world around them. A clone wouldn't kick up dust, for instance." _He is just a child. I suppose I can't explain it to him like an adult._

He looked a bit skeptical at that. "That doesn't sound useful."

"Actually, it can be quite useful. Most non-Jonin will have a difficult time picking them apart from the real thing in an intense combat situation. Especially if they're fighting several people who are using it…I can't imagine that it's useful in the desert, though."

Naruto paused for a moment, thinking about what Itachi said. "So, uh, how do you do it?"

"You remember all the seals?" He nodded. "And you know how to access your chakra?" Another nod. "Good. The first seal is Tiger, followed by Boar, Ox, and then Bear. Focus on how you look, and try to mold your chakra into that image."

It wasn't necessary to focus his mind on it. One could simply rely on the seals to mold the chakra. Even then, most of the simpler jutsu would become a second nature. It just became a second nature more quickly when one focused on molding the chakra without the seals while performing them. It was one of several methods used by ninja to shorten the number of seals necessary for a technique.

He watched as Naruto clenched his eyes shut in concentration, forehead wrinkling. Going through the seals, he spoke out "Clone Jutsu!"

And was thoroughly disappointed, as a misshapen dummy dropped to the ground in a heap, looking nothing like him aside from a small orange shirt and what appeared to be yellow hair. _Wait…_

"Try it again."

The boy repeated the process, achieving the same pathetic results. But this time, Itachi was sure of the problem. He had only been looking half-heartedly the first time, not expecting Naruto to get it at all. But this time, he was certain of it. The boy was putting so much chakra into the clone that it was basically overloading. With that much chakra…_Should I?_

"Let's try something different." Naruto's head was down. He looked…Ashamed?

"Sorry I messed up."

_Ah._ "It's not your fault. At least, not in the way you probably believe. In fact, I believe the problem is that you need to learn a slightly more advanced version of the technique." At this, Naruto's head shot up, surprised.

"This one is called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. The Shadow Clone jutsu. These clones will be completely solid, and anything they learn will be transferred to you upon their destruction."

"Really? So how do I do it? What are the seals?"

"It starts with the Ram, and is followed by the Snake and Tiger." He gave a quick demonstration, and after allowing Naruto a few minutes to practice going through the seals, he continued. "Now, do the same thing as before. Only this time, try to mold your chakra into a physical form, instead of just an image."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto performed the necessary seals, and yelled "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Itachi had expected a clone. In fact, he'd expected perhaps two, with the amount of chakra Naruto was forcing out. Even three had been a possibility. However, he expected it to drain Naruto for the day, considering how much chakra making the clones would require.

He'd been dead wrong.

For once unable to hide his shock, his eyes widened as half a dozen copies of Naruto appeared, all yipping and hollering in excitement. A six year old boy had just effortlessly created half a dozen copies of something that most adults could barely create even two of without becoming exhausted. _It has to be because of the fox. There's no other way…_

After that, there hadn't been much trouble teaching Naruto a few of the basics. It had only taken around an hour and a half. After managing the Shadow Clones, he'd had no trouble manipulating his chakra to change his own appearance in the Transformation Jutsu. They'd taken several tries to really get the Replacement Jutsu to work, but Naruto was progressing well enough. It wasn't mastered, but Naruto would probably have it down well enough for practical uses after a little more practice. He would have taught the boy some offensive jutsu, but while Naruto seemed to have a practically endless supply of chakra, Itachi wasn't sure he had the necessary control for some of the techniques.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu only required a significant amount of control the first time, and afterwards became almost instinctive. The same could be applied to the Body Replacement Jutsu. The only problems people generally had with the Transformation Jutsu were in maintaining a constant supply of chakra, and with maintaining the necessary concentration to keep up the illusion. The chakra obviously wouldn't be a problem for Naruto, and he could fix the control problem with time and practice. He would still need to learn and master the basic techniques before itachi would feel comfortable teaching him the more advanced moves, Shadow Clones excluded.

"So are we almost there?"

"I told you already. We'll be there soon."

"You said it like an hour ago."

"One hour and forty-three minutes, to be precise."

"…Grown-ups have a really messed up idea of what 'soon' means."

"Children are too impatient."

Before either of them could continue, a shuriken drove itself into the side of Itachi's throat. Naruto watched in shock, only to be even more surprised as his mentor's body suddenly disappeared to reveal a small stool that had been sitting nearby earlier.

"And that," Naruto turned his head to the side to see Itachi leaning against the wall of the ship's cabin. "Is how you put the Body Replacement Jutsu to use."

As a figure leaped from the nearby trees to the deck, Itachi pulled a kunai from his leg pouch. It was obvious there would be a fight. Most people didn't try to put a shuriken through your throat if they just wanted to talk. _Most. That 'Anko' woman from Konoha might be an exception to that rule._

"Naruto, If you could go inform the captain that I'll be a moment, it would be appreciated."

"Aw, c'mon Freaky-Eyes! I wanna watch!" _It's always fun to watch you smack people around._

"Maybe next time."

Disgruntled, Naruto went to do as he was told. Itachi had little doubt he'd think up some ridiculous prank to make up for that obedience later.

As the man began to stand, Itachi took in his features. Light brown hair slightly covered by a brown headband, bandages covering the lower half of his face, dark eyes, slender frame, though still muscular. No peculiar weaponry...The dress indicated that he was probably a Jonin. _Hopefully from Kirigakure._ He'd come to the Land of Waves to learn more jutsu. Water-based jutsu, to be specific. He was getting tired of beating up random thugs, and he figured that Gato would eventually grasp that he would need ninja to fight a ninja.

"A ninja from the Mist?"

The man made an airy sound that Itachi assumed was a laugh. "Former ninja of the Mist."

"Hired by Gato then, I presume."

"I'd hate to off some kid, but you shoulda stayed out of Gato's business."

"So, may I ask your name?"

The airy laugh again. "My name's not important to you."

"…I suppose you're right." _Soon it won't matter at all._

"I know ya think you're tough for taking on Gato's goons, kid. And hey, you might not be half bad. But you've got a lot to learn." Forming a single seal with his left hand, the man continued. "You can handle some thugs, but let's see how you handle this."

As he finished, two jets of water flew from the river to the man's side. After a short moment, the water began to take form, creating two identical copies of him.

_Clones made of water…That is an interesting trick. I'll have to borrow that one._

* * *

As Itachi and Naruto's adventure continued, Fugaku Uchiha was having problems back in Konoha. Yet another Uchiha had gone missing. Motomo Uchiha. He could only thank his lucky stars that Sasuke hadn't followed in Itachi's footsteps and joined his brother. One child abandoning their village was bad enough.

The only problem was that this particular Uchiha hadn't abandoned the village. Or at least, not as far as the Uchiha clan or the Hokage were aware. He'd disappeared on his way to a mission, as had his entire team. According to their client, they had never arrived at the predetermined meeting point. The clan was worried. It wasn't often that they lost one of their own, and this one had been rather young. Twenty three years old, a promising Chunin and possible Jonin candidate, a polite and friendly young fellow…

_Where could he have gone?_

* * *

The Uchiha were the elite. They weren't supposed to feel fear. But one Motomo Uchiha was terrified out of his mind. That incessant cackle was following him everywhere. He sharply turned around in all directions, but he still couldn't see his opponent. His entire team had already been slaughtered, and even with his Sharingan he hadn't been able to slow the monster down.

"Now don't be so shy, my wayward little Uchiha. I'm not going to hurt you."

Pulling his last shuriken into his hand, he backed himself against a tree, hoping to at least see the beast coming. "Show yourself, monster!"

"Monster? My, isn't that a little harsh? Really, I just want to make an exchange. You want power."

"Of course I don't want power. I'm of the Uchiha! We're already the elite ninja of Konoha!"

"But you still want more power. It's in the nature of the Uchiha. It's in your clan's history, in your clan's blood. I can offer you that power. You just have to join me. Just have to return the favor."

"No, I won't!"

How could he possibly not see this thing? The Sharingan could see _anything._ And then there was a crash from above, and he looked up just in time to see the giant white creature coming down towards him. Then he was surrounded by darkness and something...White? Scales of some kind? And the voice was there again, this time truly _everywhere_, rather than simply from an unidentifiable position.

"Kukukuku. You should be grateful. I only chose special people for this."

There was a brief moment of pain as he was consumed by the fleshy white scales that seemed to come alive, followed by darkness, and then nothing.

Moments later, back in the physical realm, yellow snake-like eyes shifted red, three tomoes surrounding each iris.

"Yes, this will do fine."

* * *

AN: Well, there we go. I'm sure you can imagine who our guest appearance at the end was. Next time on Oath: Itachi finally has a serious fight with a real opponent, the situation in the LoW gets a bit more active, and we have a few more cameo appearances.

Btw, thanks for all the reviews. They're appreciated. Pretty much the only payment authors here at FFN get, after all…Unless I'm getting seriously ripped off or something. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if anyone could check out the poll on my profile/forum. I'm a bit curious about what people think.


	9. Apprentice: Shinobi of the Mist

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here goes another one. On another note, I wanted to get this message out. I think I finally have a pattern for my update plans figured out. But I don't want to take too much story time, so if you want to get a bit more detail on what we're looking at with updates, it'll be in my profile.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

_Clones made of water…That is an interesting trick. I'll have to borrow that one._

The clone to the former shinobi of the Mist's right charged him, kunai drawn. _Gauging my abilities? If he wants to play it that way…_Flipping through the seals, he created a shadow clone, sending it towards the water clone while keeping his eyes on the other missing-nin. The two clones dueled for a few moments, not pulling off anything particularly impressive. It was more a pre-emptive test than an actual battle. A short time later, Itachi was tiring of the game. As the shadow clone ducked under the water clone's strike, it latched onto the water clone's waist, and Itachi activated the Great Clone Explosion.

Whistling as his clone burst into water, the missing-nin spoke again, a grin evident in his tone. "Nice trick, brat. But I'm on a time limit here, so let's get serious." He quickly created another water clone, and one of them leaped towards Itachi, the second quickly following as the missing-nin began going through a long series of signs.

Itachi knew attempting to engage them both in a battle of raw strength was useless, at least at his current age. It was simply an unfortunate drawback of being eleven years old. But if this ninja really _was_ a Jonin, then he wouldn't be able to rely solely on speed either. Ducking backwards as the first clone made a swipe at him, his eyes widened slightly as a massive sword flew from the nearby trees to the deck, landing just in front of the second charging clone.

_He has support?_ He barely had time to finish the thought before the clone with the sword was on him, the clone with the kunai leaping over them to land on Itachi's other side. Itachi sped up, ducking and dodging to get away from both the large sword and the smaller but faster kunai, his movements becoming frantic. Or at least, as frantic as the Uchiha could be. Individually, he probably would have been able to counter, or at least avoid, any of the attacks. But the clones worked in almost perfect synchronization. If one left an opening, the other would either be there to cover it before Itachi could even consider reacting, or attacking him before he took the chance.

He was still trying to think of a plan when six copies of him jumped down from the top of the ship's cabin, followed by two black-clad Konoha ANBU.

_What?_

The missing-nin's clones faltered for a moment, and Itachi struck out of instinct, regardless of his surprise, shoving his kunai through the throat of the clone wielding the sword. Even as he struck the second one as it began to recover from the surprise, the new arrivals burst into smoke. Figuring out where his "backup" had come from, Itachi faced down the missing-nin, satisfied but confused. _He combined the Henge and the Kage Bunshin? And so soon after learning them? Amazing._ He had the feeling that Naruto, wherever he was hiding, had the famous fox grin he wore when pranking someone.

However, before he could go on the offensive, his main opponent had finished with the seals he was making. The water behind the missing-nin sprang up from the river, forming a giant dragon. As the dragon rushed towards him, he rushed through the , , and seals, before taking a deep breath and "firing" the attack. _Fire Release: Roaring Flame Sphere!_ An intense ball of fire sailed through the air, impacting the dragon. Both of the jutsu burst into steam, scalding water raining across the deck under the impact zone.

A moment later, the missing-nin charged through the mist and the still-falling water, paying no heed to the scalding temperatures. Slamming a kunai into the younger boy's chest, the impact sent him sailing over the side of the ship, into the water below.

_That was fun. Stronger than I expected, but fun._ "Too bad. Brat wasn't half bad. Now," he turned towards the stairs to the lower part of the ship, where Tazuna was now poking his head out of the opening, watching the fight. "What should I do abo-"

"Impressive. Using the mist as cover, and charging through something like that just for the target."

The missing-nin whirled around, seeing the boy standing there, two clones on each side. _Impossible! I saw him die!_ His eyes showed no surprise, but as the clones drew their kunai and the boy started going through a series of all too familiar seals, his thoughts were a far different matter. _How? How could he have survived?_ Two of the clones charged him, mocking their previous situation. Grabbing the sword dropped by his fallen clone, he slammed the first clone aside, blocking the other's oncoming strike with the sword, only to flip out a kunai and stab upwards into its jaw.

Only for his own to nearly fall in surprise, as the boy's clone burst into water. _He copied the clones? He copied my clones after seeing them __**once**__?_ He'd definitely underestimated his young opponent. Grinning, he stabbed the sword into the deck, brushing off his hands.

"Alright brat, I'll admit it. You're pretty good." _Now, I have some real business to take care of._

Itachi stopped, not faltering with the seals in case he needed to continue, but giving the missing-nin a confused and suspicious look. _What?_ What was the man on about?

"This has taken long enough. I've got some real business to take care of. So I'll be seein' ya around, brat." Seeing the incredulous expression, he grinned again, even though it wasn't visible. "I don't need Gato's money or protection. I just wanted to see what all the commotion was about. Turns out those weak little fools weren't exaggerating when they said you were tough."

Itachi was reluctant to believe the man, but he didn't _seem_ to be lying. And Itachi could usually tell when someone was. Most people gave unintentional physical reactions when they lied. Sometimes they weren't visible, but much of the time there was some kind of visible reaction that the Sharingan could pick up on. Deciding to take the chance, he lowered his hands, glancing around. _Wait…_

"Where's Naruto?"

"The blond brat? Don't worry, he's safe. I have a couple partners watchin' out for him. They'll meet up with us wherever this thing stops." Rolling his shoulders, he pulled the sword from the deck, placing it on his back.

"What's your name, brat?"

He doubted it would hurt. If nothing else, the fact that Zabuza didn't call on the person, or people, who he clearly had ready to assist him implied that at the least, he wasn't interested in killing Naruto or him.

"…Itachi."

"Well I'm Zabuza. Zabuza Momochi."

_Momochi. Zabuza Momochi. Where have I…No. There's no way. The Demon of the Mist? Is he bluffing?_

Somehow, he had the feeling it wasn't a bluff.

* * *

"So you're like, really, really pretty."

Haku smiled. He'd been watching over the boy for a while now, with one of the Demon Brothers nearby standing guard over them. He wanted to watch Zabuza, but knew his friend couldn't be defeated that easily. So he'd done as he was asked, and grabbed the boy a little ways into the fight, after seeing him create several transformed clones. Quite the impressive feat, for someone his age. Since then, they'd been in a nearby clearing, Naruto making the assumption that most people did when they saw him for the first time.

"Why thank you, Naruto." The blond disappeared for a minute, before returning with a small blue flower, handing it to Haku.

"You're so sweet. Thank you." _I really should tell him I'm a boy…_Naruto blushed, scuffling his feet and wearing an embarrassed fox-like grin. _But he's just so adorable! He's like a little puppy. It just makes you wanna hug him._

The man watching over them whistled to catch their attention. "Heads up. Bro's back." His "brother" spoke to him for a moment, before dashing off again. "Looks like we're meeting up with the boss and that kid about a mile down river. There's a village near there."

_The boss __**and**__ that kid? He must have impressed Zabuza…_He doubted that Zabuza would kill the younger man. It wasn't that Zabuza was above killing someone that young, he just wouldn't be likely to go out of his way to do so unless he found it necessary. But Haku had expected him to at least disable the boy with the strange eyes. From the way the Demon Brother had said it, it sounded as if Zabuza was travelling _with_ the boy, rather than simply hitching a ride. Then again, Naruto seemed to look up to this boy that he'd mentioned quite a bit. If he was as impressive as Naruto seemed to believe, then Zabuza's interest would make a bit more sense.

"Well," he smiled at Naruto again. "What do you say we go catch up with them?"

* * *

Tazuna couldn't help but be strangely quiet as he watched the two shinobi interact. Yes, the _two_ shinobi. He'd been skeptical at first, when so many of the other villagers insisted that the little kid was a genuine ninja. He hadn't looked that impressive. But there was no doubt that the man who'd attacked them had been one, and the boy's response to the attack had made Tazuna reassess him. He'd never seen any real shinobi fight before, despite living in a land prowled by shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist.

As it was, he was beginning to understand just why shinobi, especially those from the five great villages, were feared on the battlefield. They had been throwing techniques around that no regular soldier would stand a chance against, and even just a few minutes later they didn't look like they'd so much as taken a brisk walk through the forest. In fact, the big one with the sword looked completely at ease.

As the big one that called himself Zabuza began talking, Tazuna listened in. He was interested in learning more about these ninja. Well, that and the fact that he was nosy as nobody's business.

"So brat, how'd you copy those clones?" It was an offhand question, but he was clearly curious. And possibly a bit annoyed.

"…Special technique." Like he was honestly going to explain the Sharingan's abilities. Even ignoring that the man might have been able to use it against him sometime, he really _would_ be committing treason against Konohagakure if he revealed a clan secret like that.

Zabuza laughed. "Heh. Not gonna tell me, eh? Probably a smart move. Then I suppose you're not gonna tell me how you made the shadow clones either." It was too bad. He was actually interested.

"I'm afraid not." A pause. "How many people are with you?"

Zabuza glanced at him. "Three. One of them was watching. The other two are with Blondie."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the name, wondering how Naruto would take it. Either way, he supposed it was a good thing that this Zabuza character wasn't after them. Or at the least, acting as though he wasn't after them. He wasn't having much luck with opponents lately. He hadn't gotten the chance to brush up on his specialty. He wasn't about to use genjutsu or serious ninjutsu against Konohagakure shinobi, even if they were pursuing them. The goons Gato had sent after him weren't worth the trouble. And Zabuza…Well, Zabuza was a Jonin with several other shinobi aiding him, who could probably break him out of it. Assuming he couldn't do so himself, once he figured it out.

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence.

Some time later, and a mile further down the riverside, Naruto, Haku, and the Demon Brothers arrived to find the ship had already arrived. Naruto and Haku watched as the villagers unloaded some of the packages as the Demon Brothers tracked down their boss. A few minutes later, Haku spotted a small group standing off to the side of the ship. Zabuza was speaking with the Demon Brothers, and Itachi just staying silent as Tazuna rambled about something or another. Itachi's head turned towards them, and he gave a slight wave as Zabuza called them over. When they reached the group, Itachi was, surprisingly, the first to speak.

"Naruto." He nodded. Turning to Haku, he addressed Zabuza. "Is that one of the three you mentioned."

"Yeah. Don't be fooled though. Haku's stronger than you'd think." Itachi nodded, believing it. _Why not? If I'm a Chunin at eleven, Sasuke can begin using the Great Fireball at six, Naruto can created Kage Bunshins at six, why not believe the Demon of the Mist is travelling with a skilled child?_

"Naruto. This is Zabuza Momochi." The boy tilted his head, watching the larger man.

"They call him the Demon of the Mist." Zabuza grinned at this. Then his grin faded, as Naruto's blank look continued. Trying to get a reaction, Zabuza elaborated.

"I killed a hundred ninja when I was just a child, without any training." _C'mon, that's gotta do something._ He wasn't normally an attention seeker, but good grief. The kid wasn't doing _anything._ At Naruto's failure to react, Itachi began feeling concerned.

"…Naruto?" Nothing. "Naruto, are you alright?" _Is something wrong with him?_

Now Haku was looking at him with concern as well, and even Tazuna was giving him an odd look. Naruto was silent for several more moments, just staring at the legendary Demon of the Mist. Finally, after several minutes had passed, he spoke up.

"…You know ya don't have any eyebrows, right?"

* * *

AN: Well, there ya go. Hope it was to your liking. Glad to hear anything you have to say.


	10. Apprentice: Konoha Interlude

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Heheheh. Surprise, surprise! Two chapters this time. Of course, this is just a little interlude, but hey, it's something.

"Talking"

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

**Three weeks after the previous entry…**

Shisui of the Body Flicker had taken to watching over his best friend's younger brother. Not that the kid was in danger, or getting into trouble. It was just his obligation as Itachi's best friend. Plus, Sasuke had a lot of potential. _A lot of potential…_

It was amusing, really. Sasuke seemed to be completely unaware of the fact that he was being watched. He was sneaky enough for a kid, but there was no way he'd manage to outmaneuver the Sharingan. Though he didn't know for certain, he was pretty confident that Sasuke's new training regime, which basically consisted of him practicing everything he knew until he either got too tired or actually passed out, was inspired by Itachi.

"The little Uchiha is getting pretty good for his age." Shisui recognized Kakashi's voice easily. Still watching Sasuke, he responded.

"Still not the prodigy that Itachi was though."

"I'm not sure I'd say that. He may not be showing it now, but I think he's got a lot of potential."

"Possibly." _It's also possible that a man who can transfer his consciousness into six bodies is now controlling an incredibly powerful assortment of missing-nin, and believing he's a god, is intent on gathering all of the great demons to use as a massive weapon that will make the world tremble, allowing him to bring peace through force. Just being possible doesn't make it probable…He __**is**__ getting better though. Who knows? Perhaps someday he __**will**__ surpass Itachi._ "So what are you here for, Captain Hatake?"

"…We've found Motomo's team."

"Dead?"

"Yes."

_I had the feeling that was the case._ "Why are you telling me? I would think you'd like to keep this a secret for now."

"I thought you should know. You were friends, right?" _If so, you deserve to know._

"We were." After that, they were quiet for a few minutes, just watching as Sasuke made yet another successful attempt at the Great Fireball. As the attack came to an end, Shisui spoke up, not completely sure he wanted to know the answer.

"How did it happen?"

"…We're not completely sure." _It was a bizarre._

_What?_ "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that there were no signs of enemy combatants."

_Interesting. What else?_ "What do you think happened?"

"No way to be sure. I'll get back to you when we have a better idea." Turning, Kakashi began to leave, before pausing.

"…We think someone may be targeting people with the Sharingan. Watch your back." And with that, Kakashi was gone.

_Targeting those with the Sharingan? What about those who could have it? That __**is**__ interesting._ He sped over to Sasuke with the Body Flicker, appearing a couple yards behind the boy.

"Hey there, little guy."

The young Uchiha spun around, eyes wide with surprise.

"Shisui! What are you doing here!?"

"Just passing through. Saw you training, decided to say hi."

"Please don't tell Father! He said that he didn't want me to be like Big Brother." He wasn't supposed to be training at his age. Not at the level he was working for, anyway.

_I doubt those were his exact words, but hey, he's a kid._ "Hey, calm down. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"You're not?"

Laughing silently to himself for a moment, he continued. "Nope. In fact, I wanna lend a hand."

* * *

"I told Shisui about Motomo." Kakashi doubted the Hokage would mind. They were both well aware of how it felt to lose a friend.

"Does he know any of the details?"

"Not as far as I can tell. Lord Hokage, have they found out what did this?"

"…Not Yet." _Though I have a few ideas._

Kakashi seemed almost hesitant as he asked his next question. "Lord Hokage…Could it be, well, _him?_" They both knew who he was talking about. Still, the Hokage didn't want to acknowledge the possibility.

"Who? Our wayward Uchiha?"

"No disrespect, Lord Hokage, but you know perfectly well who I'm talking about. Him. Orochimaru."

As his old friend closed his eyes, Kakashi noted that the Hokage was looking tired again. In fact, in the last several weeks, the elderly man had been gradually getting worse. It had happened once before, when Kakashi was younger, shortly after the Kyuubi's attack. He supposed that it was simply the curse of being a Kage. So many things fell on their shoulders, and Sarutobi had retired for some time before reassuming his title.

"I'd hate to be the one to suggest it. I know he was a student of yours. But their wounds…All of them looked like something from a snake. There's no snake besides a summon that size, though." He didn't want to put more pressure on the Hokage, but if Orochimaru really was making some kind of move against the Uchiha, they could have serious trouble on their hands.

The Hokage finished the thought for him. "And the only one we know of who has a contract with the snakes besides Ms. Mitarashi, is Orochimaru." Sighing, he opened his eyes, seeming to look beyond Kakashi, at something that wasn't there. "I know." And he did.

"I know. He was troubled, cruel. I just don't want to believe he could openly attack our home, his old home. I practically raised those three. I had such high hopes for him, he had so much potential. I just…" Shaking his head, he was looking at the ANBU captain again. "I'm sorry. You don't want or need to hear the ramblings of an old man. Pass on the word. We may be dealing with one of the Sannin."

"Yes sir."

"You know what to do?" It was hardly a necessary question.

"Of course." He was the captain of ANBU. "All active ANBU are to be informed, and tracking teams dispatched. No one attempts to engage the target, especially not alone." _And we do __**not**__ let Anko go after him. That wouldn't end well no matter what the results._

"Good. I'll inform Ms. Mitarashi." _He was my student, she was his. It's my fault things went to the extremes they did._

"Probably for the best." _She actually respects him, for one._ "If I may, Lord Hokage?"

"Dismissed." Bowing slightly, Kakashi left the room.

_I can only hope Orochimaru wasn't truly behind this._

* * *

"I'm sorry, Mikoto." The captain of the Konoha Police Force apologized to his wife. He knew he shouldn't have snapped at her, but the situation with their clan was deteriorating, and the Konoha Police Force was just short of going on full alert. His nerves were reaching their limit. He couldn't even imagine what the Hokage must have been going through.

"It's alright." Standing behind him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he sat. "You're too stressed. You need to let the others take on a little of the burden."

"I can't. With Motomo's disappearance, and Itachi's betrayal, I can't allow anyone to believe I'm suffering. If I appear weak, then the entire clan will appear weak." It wasn't an arrogant statement, just the simple truth. It was why the Hokage always wore a strong face in public, why none of the clan leaders ever seemed tired or weak. They had to appear strong when dealing with other countries, and it was a matter of pride among their fellow Konohagakure clans.

He was quiet for a moment, simply taking comfort in his wife's embrace. "And…I'm worried. About Sasuke, I mean." She was worried about him as well. "You know how he idolized Itachi. What if he follows in his path? I…" He didn't continue.

"I know." She felt the same. They'd already lost one son, if not to death, then to desertion. Neither of them could lose another. It would destroy both her and Fugaku.

"But I think he'll be okay. Shisui stopped by, and said that he was going to spend some time with him. Maybe even help him learn a few techniques."

Fugaku smiled at this. "Good. I think he may have taken it wrong when I asked him not to follow in Itachi's path. With Itachi gone, Sasuke is the future of our clan. The Uchiha are counting on him."

As Fugaku and Mikoto shifted to a more pleasant subject, Sasuke slipped away from the wall he'd been listening from, and snuck off to bed. He was lucky to have Shisui as a sort of surrogate uncle. He doubted he could have been as silent without the tips he'd gotten from his brother's friend earlier that afternoon.

* * *

"Anko!" The Hokage's voice was stern, powerful. When the Hokage sounded angry, his voice could stop even Anko without trouble. _I knew she would take this badly._

"We don't even know for certain that it's him." _And we can't have you chasing after him. You __**can't**__ defeat him. After all this time, with his obsession over discovering jutsu, he's undoubtedly learned much more than he knew when he taught you._ "This is a direct order. Do _not_ attempt to find or engage Orochimaru. Is that clear?"

Her hands clenched further, the pain in her hands intensifying. Her fingernails had already broken the surface of the skin. She spoke to the Hokage through clenched teeth, barely restrained anger in her voice. "Yes sir, Lord Hokage." _Damn it! I __**need**__ to find him. I need to make him pay._

"You're dismissed, Ms. Mitarashi." She stepped away, storming towards the door, but stopped at the Hokage's voice, as it turned soft yet again.

"I know what you think of him. I know you hate him. But please, for my sake if nothing else, don't seek revenge on him." He viewed all of the villagers as his children, even those who had gone astray.

* * *

AN: Love to hear any reviews. Oh, and I'd still appreciate any opinions on the poll, whether you respond in reviews, the forum, or the poll itself. By the way, is anyone else having problems with the formatting (And getting really freaking annoyed with it)?


	11. Apprentice: Ripple Effect

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: I, uh…Couldn't really remember if Tazuna's place was near the city or in the forest, so I'm taking a guess here. Sorry if I guess wrong, but it probably isn't that important anyway.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

As they walked down the path to Tazuna's house, Itachi sighed to himself. They'd separated from Zabuza and his crew back in the busier part of the city. Apparently they were only planning to be in town for a couple of days, long enough to restock on a few supplies since they actually had money, and had just confronted Itachi because Zabuza was interested in the boy that everyone was talking about.

Of course, it'd taken a while to actually drag Naruto away from Haku. _I wonder if I should tell him Haku is a boy._ Thinking of how the boy had spoken to Zabuza before, Itachi had little trouble making up his mind. _No. It's certainly more amusing this way._

He still couldn't believe Naruto's reaction. The man was intimidating, his nickname was intimidating, his sword was intimidating, and they told the story of how he'd slaughtered dozens of ninja as a child with no training. And what did Naruto do? Asked the Demon of the Mist if he was aware of the fact that he had no eyebrows. Naturally, Tazuna had lost anything resembling composure and started cracking up right then and there. Luckily for them, Zabuza had thought it was hilarious as well. He'd just said something about "the brat having spunk" and let it go without a second thought.

"Hey, now you two don't slack off yet. We're just about there." Tazuna's jovial voice called back at them.

_Slack off. Right._ As if they'd really slack off. He was excessively paranoid about the lack of shinobi intent on taking their heads, and Naruto…Well, Naruto just plain never ran out of energy. Ever.

It didn't take very long to get to Tazuna's rather modest home. It was a small building on the coast just off of the main city. It wasn't especially impressive, but then neither Naruto nor he had ever really cared that much for where they were staying. He was a shinobi, so he could expect to spend time in some horrible locations, and Naruto just plain didn't care. Overall, it was much better than a number of places he'd stayed.

As they entered, Tazuna spoke up again. "You two make yourselves at home. I'm gonna go see where my daughter's gone off to."

And make himself at home Naruto did. He ran around the room excitedly, inspecting anything and everything that caught his attention. Itachi simply walked to the wall at the opposite end of the room, and watched the entrances to the outside and where Tazuna had gone just moments before. After a few minutes of waiting, the door to the outside opened, and Itachi's arm dropped towards the pouch containing his kunai, waiting to see who it was.

Moments later he relaxed, as a small boy with shaggy black hair entered the room, followed by a taller man with spiky black hair and a big grin on his face. A grin that faded slightly when he saw the two strangers sitting in the room. The boy looked at them in surprise, speaking out in a slightly nervous voice.

"Who are you guys?"

"We're working for Tazuna." The man frowned at that.

"I don't remember Tazuna mentioning anything about hiring someone." The two newcomers had been staring at the strangers in their home for a few minutes when Tazuna reappeared, chatting animatedly with a young woman. As they entered, Itachi turned his attention to them. _His daughter, I imagine._

"Ah, everybody's here now." Tazuna walked across the room, patting the spiky haired man on the back. "That's just super!" He turned towards Itachi and Naruto with a huge grin. "Come on over, boys! I wanna introduce you to my family here! This handsome young fellow is my son in law, Kaiza." Itachi tilted his head at that. _One of the villagers we visited earlier when we were loading the ship mentioned him. He's the only one who really fights Gato's control._

"And this little man," He ruffled Inari's hair, ignoring the child's protests. "Is my grandson Inari." He pointed at the young woman still standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "And the pretty one over there is my daughter Tsunami. Don't get any ideas though," The old man winked over at Itachi. "She's already taken."

The rest of the evening passed rather quickly, and Itachi found himself enjoying the company. If nothing else, it was nice to see Naruto spending some time having fun with someone more his age. Inari was only two years younger, and he'd taken to Naruto in a flash, though they both seemed intent on convincing the other that either he or Kaiza were superior to one another. Inari seemed to idolize Kaiza as much as Naruto seemed to adore him and the Hokages.

Aside from the bickering between the two young boys, he'd learned a little more about Tazuna's family and the situation with Gato. Their family was among the few people truly giving the businessman any real resistance, with Kaiza being the most active. Of course, they didn't openly discuss it with the two children nearby, but it was easy enough for him to pick up on the undertones of the conversations.

Still, it was only after the others had gone to bed that he'd really learned anything. He wasn't fond of sleeping in what he considered to be enemy territory, and with how much he'd been doing to torment Gato, he certainly considered the Land of Waves to be enemy territory. As it was, he'd been sitting on the dock outside the house, as relaxed as he could be given the circumstances, when Tazuna's daughter sat down next to him.

He was somewhat surprised that she'd actually come out to talk to him. People would hire shinobi in an instant, but most of the time they weren't big on socializing with their hired hands unless they were used to dealing with them. Of course, she'd been dealing with Gato's goons for a long time, so she probably wasn't as uncomfortable dealing with someone dangerous, especially since they were actually on her side.

"I wanted to thank you. For helping my father, I mean."

"It was no trouble." _I've dealt with worse. The only real threat was Zabuza, and he just wanted to amuse himself._

"That's not how dad made it sound." It was true. Tazuna had spent nearly an hour going on about the fight he'd seen between the two shinobi, as well as the stories he'd heard about Itachi's exploits against Gato's goons. The stories had been exaggerated of course, but Tazuna had ignored his corrections.

"He exaggerated." She giggled at his response.

"You're so serious. It's cute." They were quite for a few minutes, before she continued in a more serious tone. "I guess I feel a bit selfish." He turned towards her slightly. Taking this as curiosity, she continued. "With all of his attention on you, Gato won't put so much on Kaiza. I know what he's doing is right, but angering Gato was dangerous before he even had a foothold here. Now that he's gotten so much control, it's almost suicidal to do anything against him."

_I see. Quite reasonable._ "You're just worried. You can't be blamed for that."

"I just don't feel right pushing that danger off on someone so young."

"…We're shinobi. Putting ourselves on the line for our clients is part of our lifestyle. Few reach any rank beyond Genin without expecting to be put in dangerous situations."

"It sounds hard. I don't know if I could stand thinking about my entire family being in that kind of danger so often."

"I suppose. I've never really considered how others might feel about it." _Sasuke probably thinks I'm indestructible, so he wouldn't be worried. But what about Mother and Father? They know I'm skilled, but would that really stop them from worrying?_

"Never?"

"Everyone in my family follows a path that puts them in danger. We're the most powerful clan in Konohagakure." _Perhaps the Hyuga could match us, but they aren't superior by any means._ "Even if they don't become active shinobi who take missions, they join the Konoha Police Force."

"Is that why you came here? Looking for a mission? Father said that he met you in town."

"…I'm on a vacation of sorts, with Naruto."

"And yet here you are, still working away."

"I could use the extra money. And I suppose I can become restless." Why was he talking so much? He only talked like this with his mother or Sasuke, and even then only rarely. Maybe it was because Tsunami reminded him of his own mother. He decided he should inform her of his decision. He wasn't having much luck with finding shinobi to learn techniques from, and it was about time to move on.

"You won't have to worry much longer anyway. I'm leaving soon."

She glanced at him with surprise, looking as though she wanted to say something else. After a moment, she leaned over and kissed his forehead, before standing up to leave.

"Still, you've helped us so much. I wish there was more we could do to thank you."

As she returned to the house, Itachi turned back to the sea, allowing himself to get lost in thought for the rest of the night. The next morning, they said goodbye to their hosts. It was nothing special. They received their payment, Tsunami gave them something for lunch as a personal thank you, Naruto and Inari bickered a little more about whether he or Kaiza were stronger, and all of the things he'd expected to happen upon their departure.

As they left Tazuna's home, Itachi couldn't help but feel that he could do one last thing for them in return for their hospitality, before he and Naruto left.

* * *

Gato was sitting in his office in the building that he used as a sort of headquarters when he was in the Land of Waves. He was starting to get frustrated with the shinobi child who had been causing him so much trouble. Had it just been a few of his lower class hired hands, he wouldn't have given it a second thought. Even a few of the villagers had given them trouble, though the only one to outright confront them was that blasted Kaiza.

But it hadn't just been a few hired hands. It had been some of his best non-ninja "employees." At this rate, he really would have to send out the shinobi that he'd hired when they were rejected from whatever hidden villages they came from, or perhaps even go to the trouble of hiring shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Not only had the child defied him, but he'd openly humiliated those who worked for him, and his continued presence in the Land of Waves was encouraging the villagers to be more open in their resistance.

He had just been preparing to call in some of the former ninja on his payroll when he felt a large tremor run through the building, the items arranged on his desk shaking almost violently. _What could that be?_ He stood up to go ask the two guards outside his door, two former Chunin he'd hired as his personal guard, what the problem was when the door flew open, the large form of his guard flying across the room and into the wall, unconscious. Turning from the fallen form of his bodyguard, he looked to the door, where an eleven year old boy was walking through with a small, but powerful scowl on his face.

He backpedalled to the wall at the back of the room, desperately reaching backwards for the panel that would open to reveal a switch that would open a hidden door designed in case of an emergency. Just as he felt himself touch the panel with his right hand, the boy's arm shot out, and agony raced through the hand about to slide awayy the panel. He shrieked in pain, turning and trying to pry the kunai from his now useless hand, when the boy raced forward.

As Gato yelled in pain, Itachi grabbed his uninjured hand before he could move to pull out the blade. Placing his left forearm over the man's throat and putting just enough pressure on it to make his breathing difficult, he began to speak.

"I'm going to make this quite simple for you, Gato." He squeezed the man's hand until he started to hear the bones cracking before continuing. "Leave these people alone. I will be coming back. And if I find you've been giving them trouble, and I mean any kind of trouble," he released the hand. "This little excursion will be miniscule in comparison."

With that, he ripped the kunai out of the older man's hand, and left the room. When Gato finally stopped the blood flow several minutes later, he walked through the door with the intent of telling his guards exactly what he thought of their performance. This was put to a stop quickly when he found that all but a few were either dead or unconscious, and the few that weren't were intent on getting out of the building before the "demon child" returned.

Gato decided that it might not be a horrible idea to lighten up on the villagers for a while.

* * *

As he stood on the railing of the balcony overlooking Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain, the orange-haired man looked over his domain. The dark haired woman standing next to him watched him for a few minutes before speaking.

"Something on your mind?" Her eyes relaxed, taking on what was probably the closest she came to a joking expression. "Worried?" He glanced down at her, before turning back to watch over the village again.

"Of course not, Konan." He was never worried. "Simply curious. Orochimaru can be quite the wild card. I wonder what he's planning." Even as he said it, the doors behind him opened, a familiar voice that exuded pure arrogance coming through.

"Well, well. Hello, Lord Pain."

"Konan." She didn't need him to finish. She left the room, giving the legendary Sannin a warning glance as she walked by. As the door closed behind her, Pain turned around, addressing his underling.

"Orochimaru. What brings you here?"

"I just want to play a little game," the snake-like ninja's grin widened, and his eyes suddenly shifted, three tomoe surrounding each of the snake-like pupils. "My Lord."

Rin'negan activated, Pain stepped down from the balcony's railing. If his former underling wanted to play, then he would make sure it was a game the Sannin wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

AN: Glad to hear from my readers. On another note, what do y'all think of the little "Interlude" in Konoha? I'm thinking of putting this kind of interlude once in a while, just to see what various characters are up to in other places throughout the story. I'd love to hear your input on whether or not you like them, or if you think they break the flow of the story too much.


	12. Apprentice: Detour

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here we go. Thanks for the reviews. Always nice to hear what y'all think. On a side note, I will be using the "Pain" translation of Pein/Pain's name, as if I'm not mistaken, the "Pein" translation is much like "Maito Gai" (IIRC, that's the romanji version). So as with Might Guy/Maito Gai, I'm going with Pain rather than Pein. Anyway, I might implement some of the recent revelations in the manga, but many probably won't be.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversationf**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

It had been four days since they'd left the Land of Waves. Itachi was a little surprised that Naruto hadn't asked where they were going yet. Of course, he hadn't been in the best mood for the last few days either. He'd enjoyed his short time in the Land of Waves, and probably hadn't wanted to leave so quickly.

"So Freaky-Eyes, where we headin' now?"

_Speak of the devil._ "The Land of Wind."

"But, uh." Naruto paused, looking to his right, then ahead, and back to his right again before continuing. "I didn't pay much attention at the academy, but isn't the Land of Wind that way?" He pointed to his right.

"Indeed it is. But we're taking a small detour first. I'm visiting a former acquaintance."

"Huh?"

"We're going to meet someone I met a few years ago, when I was still a Genin."

"Oh." He was quiet for a minute, before asking his next question. "So Freaky-Eyes, what's bein' a Genin like?"

"…I couldn't really say. My situation was a little unusual."

"How?"

"Our team was a little…strange, to say the least." Naruto still looked confused. Not surprising. Even if they knew they would be split into teams at some point, most academy students weren't actually aware that they were split into three-man teams that were essentially permanent until they increased in rank, except under special circumstances. It would ruin things for the Jonin who wanted to test their teamwork by scaring them with the threat of sending one of them back to the academy.

"Genin are normally separated into three-man teams, and placed under the care of a Jonin who will act as their sensei." He explained. "There were only two of us that graduated in my class. Our team was smaller than average, and we weren't the most normal group of people. We never even took a D-Rank mission. So I can't say that I'm familiar with the normal activities performed by Genin."

And that was certainly true. Their team had been anything but normal. Two Uchiha prodigies on one team? It was no wonder that they'd become Chunin so easily.

"Who was on your team? Were they any good?"

"They were quite skilled. Our sensei was a Jonin, of course, so that would be expected of him. As for the other Genin, well, he became a sort of legend in his own right."

"A legend?"

"Most know him as Shisui of the Body Flicker. Those of us in the Uchiha Clan were quite proud of him. His skill with the Body Flicker Technique is almost unmatched, and certainly not surpassed." He paused, looking contemplative. "Well, that isn't completely true. The Fourth was a master of a similar technique, but the technique itself was already far more advanced than the Body Flicker."

"So like, are all the people in your family that strong?"

"While they are far greater than average, Shisui and I were considered prodigies, even within our own clan. Though, I do believe others in our clan have some potential," At this, his thoughts turned to Sasuke, and he couldn't help but wonder if his little brother had continued progressing. "And some of the clan's founders were stronger than either of us."

"Clan's founders?"

_Hm. One of his more curious days. I might as well appease him._ "The Uchiha Clan is still one of the greatest shinobi clans in the world, but as a whole, we've become far weaker over the years."

"Time for a story?"

"A story? I suppose it is a bit of a story." _It's more of a history lesson, but if masking it as a story will actually help him pay attention, why not?_

"Once, the Uchiha were the greatest warriors in the entire world. There was only a single clan in existence that could match us. They were under the leadership of a man named Hashirama Senju." He looked down at Naruto, wondering if he recognized the name. When Naruto just kept looking at him in curiosity, he assumed that the academy instructors hadn't reached that point. If Naruto paid attention to nothing else, it was information on the Hokages.

"Hashirama Senju would later become known as the First Hokage." Indeed, Naruto was suddenly paying far more attention than before. "The Uchiha and the Senju battled for years, in a life of nearly constant struggle. Eventually, the Uchiha and Senju came to a truce, and they created the village of Konohagakure. However, things weren't so simple as creating a truce. There was the decision of leadership, a question of whom would be chosen as the Hokage." _At least, that's the extent of what's taught in the academy. Madara seems to have a slightly different account._

"They started fighting again?"

"Not quite. The clans themselves were at peace. The leader of the Uchiha, known as Madara Uchiha, was not. He challenged Lord Hashirama in a duel. It was…Unbelievable. Or that's what I've been told. There aren't exactly many people alive today who are old enough to know of these events. But all accounts of the battle describe it as what must be one of the most magnificent duels in history."

"Wow…" Naruto seemed to have gone off into his own little world. He was probably trying to envision the battle. Not that he would really be able to do it very accurately, seeing as he probably didn't even know what Madara looked like, much less what he or the First Hokage were actually capable of. He waited for a few moments, before deciding to impart Naruto with a particular piece of information he'd learned from Madara.

"There's a little more that I thought might interest you." Naruto looked up at him, eager to hear more of the tale. "Some accounts claim that Madara even summoned something. A beast of enormous power."

"What?"

"…The Kyuubi no Yoko."

He was fairly certain he'd never seen Naruto quite as shocked as he was at that moment. Recovering from his surprise, Naruto sputtered for a moment before he managed to get out what he was trying to say.

"The First Hokage fought the fox! And he really won!?"

"So the stories say. If they're true, then that would make him one of two people that have actually defeated the beast in a battle. The other, well, I'm sure you know who I'm referring to." Of course, it would be difficult to truly discover which elements of the various accounts of the battle were truth, and which were fiction. Perhaps someday Naruto could ask the Kyuubi itself. Unlike Madara, who could use it to gain sympathy, or those from Konoha, who could use the tale to make Madara a villain, the demon really had little to gain from lying about what occurred in that battle.

"Yeah…" And as Naruto went back into his own little world, Itachi couldn't help but make a note to himself that telling stories about Hashirama and Minato was probably a good way to make Naruto be quiet.

They actually continued walking for a few more hours in almost complete silence, as Naruto seemed engrossed in his own imaginary version of the fight between the two leaders. Still, with Naruto around, the silence could only last for so long. Having apparently satisfied his young imagination, he'd started yet another line of questioning.

"So, Freaky-Eyes?"

"Yes?" He was always ready to answer the child's questions. Strange, as he had never been one for idle conversation. But then, Naruto's questions were often reasonable, and he'd been through enough in his short life to deserve it. At least in Itachi's eyes.

"Who're we goin' to see?"

"A man I once met as a Genin, on our twenty-third C-Rank mission. His name is Meshi Otoko."

"Meshi Otoko…So how'd you meet 'im?"

"We were assigned to escort his son, Takumi, and daughter-in-law, Yuka, to a small fishing village at the end of the peninsula to the east of here. Unfortunately, they'd been separated before we arrived. Shisui and our sensei remained with his Takumi, and I was sent to find 

his wife. It involved cutting through a few bandits, but I eventually found her. The rest of the mission was rather uneventful."

"Gotcha. So what're we gonna see him about?"

"Meshi was grateful to us, to say the least. He insisted that he owed us a debt. I've yet to ask him to repay it, but I believe he has something that you would find useful."

"Somethin' for me?"

"Indeed. Consider it a late birthday gift. I think it will be quite fitting. And," Itachi stopped walking, placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "We're here." He nodded to the right, and Naruto turned to see what he was looking at.

A few dozen yards away, visible through the trees, there was a series of small wooden buildings. A medium-sized cabin and a slightly smaller cabin of a similar design, clearly where the family must have lived, with several other wooden structures used for storage and other such purposes.

"Let's go." Itachi lifted his hand from Naruto's shoulder, and made his way to the smaller of the two cabins where he knew Meshi spent most of his free time. When he arrived, he knocked on the door a few times, and moments later it opened to reveal the surprised face of an elderly man. He wasn't an incredibly impressive sight. The old man was only about five and a half feet tall, with a slight hunch and a balding head, leaning on a cane. His face was wrinkly, though it was obvious that he was a very cheery man, and sported a small graying beard.

As the old man's eyes landed on Itachi, he looked confused for a few moments, but soon broke into a large grin.

"I know you! You're that young ninja fella who helped my boy out a few years back. Itachi, was it?" He stood back, opening the door and gesturing for them to enter. "Well I'll be, it feels like it's been a century since then. You certainly have grown up quite a bit. Please, please, go on and make yourselves comfortable." He pointed towards a small circular table, and the duo sat down, Itachi focusing on the elderly man.

"Thank you, Mr. Otoko."

"Been a while since I last saw you. You still the ninja business?" The old man hobbled over with his cane, lowering himself to the seat across from his young guests.

Itachi nodded, clasping his hands in front of him. "I'm still working as a shinobi, yes. I'm no longer affiliated with Konohagakure, however. I suppose you could say I'm doing more freelance work, at the moment."

"Good, good. Young people should always go out and see the world. Not like you can do much travelling when you get my age." The man laughed good-naturedly. "And who's this young fella?" The elderly man looked over at Naruto.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki. He wanted to come with me, when I left the village."

"Well, it's nice to meet you sonny." He reached his hand across the table, smiling again when Naruto reached back and gave it a quick shake. "So, what can I do for you boys?"

"Some time ago, you said you owed me a debt. I disagreed at the time, but I was hoping you would help me with something."

Meshi looked surprised. "Why sure. Always glad to help somebody who's helped me out."

"You told me that you were once a shinobi, and that your father was as well, correct?"

"Yep. He was a good one though. I never got past Genin." Meshi smiled again, obviously not troubled or ashamed by that fact.

"You also told me that his specialty was in the art of summoning jutsu. I'm not fond of summoning, myself, but I believe my young companion here would be quite suited to the ability. I was rather hoping you might help him sign a contract with your father's preferred creatures."

Meshi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hm, yes, yes. I believe I do still have one of his older summoning scrolls around here." He hobbled over to a nearby chest, and began digging through.

"I gave most of them to the kids, what with them travelling to town more often, but I think that'd be a fine idea. This kind of thing is probably better left to the ninja than us common folks anyway." Pulling a small scroll out of the chest, he knelt down and rolled it out on the ground. He reached into his pocket and brought out a small pocket knife, made a small cut in his thumb, and ran it across the scroll.

Making the Tiger hand seal, Meshi called out "Summoning Jutsu!"

The small area burst into smoke, and Itachi's Sharingan spotted the creature through the smoke. _Yes, fitting indeed._ As the smoke cleared, it revealed a small graying fox, only slightly larger than a moderately sized cat. It shook itself out for a second, and turned its head up towards the kneeling Meshi.

"Ah, Meshi. It has been some time, since you summoned one of us, yes. How have you been, hm?"

"Ah, I've been alright. Kids are doin' fine." He smiled at the small fox.

"That is good to hear, good to hear, yes. Still, you do not summon me very often these days. You are always calling on the younger ones now. Perhaps you need a contract, hmhm? Worried that you're running out of time, hmhmhm?" Itachi looked down at Naruto, and gave him a small frown while nodding towards the fox. Hopefully he would get the hint that mocking the fox's somewhat odd speech tendencies probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Ah, don't get so excited, Yama. I'm not gonna be goin' out any time soon. I owe this guy a favor, and well, he can probly make more use a' the contract than me, bein' a ninja and all." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Itachi, and the fox turned his head towards the black-haired ninja.

"So, you are the one who wants a contract, hm? Going to put us to good use, hmhmhm?"

"Actually," Itachi placed his hand on Naruto's head. "It's for him."

The fox's eyes went wide, and it almost started spluttering. "You surely jest!? We do not just 'hand out' contracts to any random little boy who wants one! Why do you suggest this madness?"

"He's a rather unique child." He replied, ignoring Naruto's protests at being called a child. "He merely needs a chance."

"Fine, fine! Let me see him." Yama walked over to the blond, and peered up at him. "You will sit down, yes. You are too tall, too tall." Naruto gave the fox an odd glance, then dropped down to the ground and crossed his legs, putting his hands on his knees. Yama walked around Naruto, completely circling him before putting his paws up on Naruto's legs, and looking into his eyes. He continued to stare for a short time, giving a few small sniffs on occasion, then stepped back and looked at Itachi again.

"Yes, yes you are right. He is strange, a very strange little kit."

"Like you're one to talk, ya old gray rat!" Naruto yelled to no avail, as the fox simply cackled and drew out a scroll, though Naruto had no idea where it came from. As Yama unrolled the scroll, Meshi handed his pocket knife to the younger boy.

"Sign your name, or make your mark. A little blood, just a little drop, and you shall have our aid, yes." At Itachi's nod, Naruto pricked his finger with the tip of the blade, and signed his sloppy, but still somewhat legible, signature on the scroll. The fox gave a small smile, and rolled it back up.

"Interesting kit, yes very interesting. I look forward to this partnership." With one last cackle, the fox disappeared in a burst of smoke, leaving a confused Meshi, a pleased Itachi, and an excited but confused Naruto.

_Now,_ Itachi thought, _We just need to teach him how to summon them. I wonder what the Kyuubi would have to say about Naruto summoning foxes?_

* * *

AN: Mwuahahaha! Sorry all, but no Orochimaru/Pain battle in this chapter though. But don't worry, you'll be seeing what happens between those two soon enough. Anyway, please R&R. I look forward to your comments.


	13. Apprentice: Winds of Change

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here we are. Sorry for the long wait. Yeah, yeah. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. Still, hope you like the chapter. This is the last chapter before we get back to the battle you've been waiting for :)

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"Naruto. Naruto." _You just_ _can't get through to him when he's distracted._ Itachi raised his voice a little. "Naruto!" As the boy came back down, he turned to him, stopping for a moment.

"What?"

"Stop jumping on the eight foot tall fox." He'd been teaching Naruto the summoning jutsu when the boy had summoned an eight foot tall white fox, named Byakko. Naturally, he'd fallen in love with his new "portable playground" and had spent the better part of the past four weeks climbing and jumping around on the fox. Even after all that time, he still hadn't gotten tired of summoning Byakko for the sole purpose of amusing himself.

"Aw, c'mon! He doesn't care."

Itachi was pretty sure he saw the fox twitch. "I think he's had enough for today."

"Hey Byakko, you're okay with it, right?"

"I'm about three jumps away from throwing you across the desert." Thankfully, he was a little less eccentric than his grandfather, Yama. He doubted the elderly fox could actually act out one of the threats he made, like Byakko could, but he could certainly reach a whole new level of frustrating. Not that it really helped much when it was Naruto that Yama was trying to "punish," seeing as the only one it annoyed was Itachi. Naruto just thought the fox's crackly voice rambling on about how he would have "eaten them for a morning snack" back in the old days was hilarious.

Of course, Itachi doubted Byakko would act on his threats either. As much as their newest and largest companion complained, he seemed to actually like Naruto. Probably because Naruto was already as obsessed with tricking people as he was, and he was gradually becoming more devious as he learned more techniques. Yet another decision that Itachi was certain would come back to haunt him. Honestly, he'd essentially turned the blond into the perfect prank machine. Before they'd started training, the kid was already capable of hiding himself without jutsu, despite his loud nature, and by now he could transform himself to look like other people, create well over a dozen tangible clones of himself, and with the way he'd sneaked away to look at some rather risqué magazines when they'd stopped in a village about two weeks earlier…Well, Itachi was absolutely sure that his young companion was concocting yet another "brilliant" plan in that twisted, childish mind of his.

And he was getting very, very curious as what it was that his student was planning.

Naruto wasn't the smartest person alive, at least not in the sense that most people thought of as intelligent. He wasn't especially book smart, even for his age, and he often let his emotions override his common sense. But when it really came down to it, Naruto was a genius in his own unusual way. And he was stubborn enough for his other flaws to fade into the background. He may not have picked things up as incredibly fast as most shinobi, even those whom were part of one of the clans, but when he genuinely wanted to learn something, he forced himself to train nonstop until he could either do it, or until he wasn't physically capable of continuing his practice. And that kind of devotion to succeeding was something that Itachi could respect just as much as he respected the natural talent of those in the clans, if not more.

Either way, he was sure he'd see eventually. For now, it was time to pay a visit to Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand. They weren't that far from the entrance to the village, though they would probably have to be more cautious when they traveled through the pass in the cliffs. He doubted any of their shinobi would recognize him immediately, especially if he deactivated his Sharingan. Still, they could be a little paranoid at times. It wasn't particularly a bad thing, but it could get frustrating for people just interested in passing through.

_Speaking of "people" passing through…_"Naruto. I think it's time for Byakko to take a break."

"Huh?" Itachi glanced to his side again, only to see Naruto hanging in the air, suspended by the piece of his orange shirt hanging from Byakko's mouth. Raising an eyebrow, Itachi turned back to the pass ahead of them.

"We're about to enter a village. Time for Byakko to go." The fox stopped, tossed Naruto into the air with a shake of his head, and grinned at Itachi, amused as the child yelled in joy at being thrown in the air.

"Until next time, Uchiha." Byakko disappeared in a burst of smoke, and Itachi stretched his arm out, grabbing Naruto as he came back down. He placed the boy on the ground, and continued towards the entrance to the village.

About halfway through the cliffs, they'd been confronted by one of the Suna shinobi. They'd been strangely non-confrontational as compared to what he'd heard from some of the other Konoha shinobi that had visited the village, and the few he'd met on missions in his years as a Genin. Perhaps it was the fact that they were just children. Or maybe over time, the Sunagakure shinobi ahd simply been getting less aggressive and paranoid since the end of the last war. For whatever reasons they may have had, Itachi was grateful for the lack of conflict. The last thing he needed was to start a fight with some of Konoha's allies.

A few minutes later, the duo was walking through the streets of the city. Itachi with far less concern than he'd had when first entering, Naruto…Well, Naruto hadn't been concerned in the first place. As they continued travelling through the village, Naruto excitedly jumping from place to place in an attempt to see everything he could in yet another environment he'd never seen before, the young blond saw a strange looking redheaded boy sitting alone in a wide open area that he imagined was a playground of sorts.

Noticing the dejected look on the other boy's face, Naruto turned to Itachi, tugged on his shirt, and pointed at the other boy. Seeing nothing too dangerous about the redhead, Itachi nodded.

"Go ahead. I'll find something to eat."

"Thanks, Freaky-Eyes." Naruto took off towards the boy, and Itachi watched him for a moment before continuing his search, though he was a little more limited now that Naruto wasn't following him. Of course, as it may have presented the blond with an opportunity to make a friend, he could certainly wait for lunch.

* * *

"Lord Kazekage?"

"Hm." The Kazekage looked up from his desk.

"I think there's something you should see."

"I'm busy at the moment."

"I really think you need to see this, sir. It's Gaara." The Kazekage stood, motioning for his underling to show him the way.

* * *

Gaara of the Sand looked up as a blond boy about his age came running up to him, and stopped a few feet away.

"Hey, my name's Naruto! What's yours?"

_He won't be here for long. It can't hurt though, right?_ "Gaara."

"Why ya sitting here all alone? You can't be the only kid in the village."

"I'm…not very popular."

Naruto scoffed, putting his hands behind his head. "Popular shmopular. You've gotta have somebody who likes to hang out with you." At Gaara's continued silence, Naruto's frown deepened, before his mouth spread into another grin. "Hey, you can come have lunch with me and Freaky-Eyes!"

_Freaky-Eyes? Must have been that man. I think I'd like that, but…_"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"The people here…They don't like me much."

"It can't be that bad. C'mon, we'll find someplace with ramen. Ramen makes everything better!"

"…What's ramen?"

Gaara was understandably baffled at the combination of terror, shock, and determination that had blended into a single expression on Naruto's face at his question.

"You've never had ramen?" _That just ain't right._ "Well, let's go get you some!" Naruto chattered excitedly, moving to give Gaara a friendly push on the shoulder.

Naturally, he was surprised when a flood of sand shot out, slammed into his chest, and threw him half a dozen feet away. Sitting up, Naruto shook his head, and looked back over towards the mortified Gaara with wide eyes. The redhead clenched his eyes shut, knowing what always happened next. There would be screaming, and yelling, and even more rejection. So he matched Naruto's surprise when the boy just looked at him oddly, stood up, and walked over to him.

_What's he doing?_

The blue-eyed boy slowly raised his hand, and poked him in the shoulder. When that got no reaction, he walked around behind him, and poked the spot he'd been about to push a few times. At yet another failure to get a reaction, he walked back in front of Gaara, and stood a few feet away, looking over him. After a few seconds of this, he closed his eyes and nodded to himself, smiling. Just as Gaara's confusion was peaking, Naruto suddenly charged at him. As he neared Gaara, the sand shot up again, flinging Naruto across the ground a second time. Moments later, the boy jumped up, shaking the dirt out of his hair.

"That was so. Freaking. Cool!"

_Huh?_

"Do it again!" The young blond stood, hopping up and down in excitement. At Gaara's stare, he increased his pace. "C'mon, wastin' daylight here! Again!"

_Must be insane._ Gaara focused, grabbing the other boy with the sand, and giving him a small experimental toss to see if he would continue to enjoy this new "game." As Naruto rolled to his feet again, still jumping as excitedly as before, Gaara allowed himself to relax slightly. If the other boy genuinely enjoyed being slung around so much, maybe he could finally have someone to spend time with. The fact that someone wasn't terrified of Gaara's unusual abilities was unlikely enough, but that he would actually meet someone who went as far as to enjoy it? It sounded impossible.

When Itachi returned half an hour later, a small bag full of various foodstuffs he'd bought with their remaining funds, he was…Well, honestly, he wasn't that surprised. The redhead still didn't look happy, but Itachi had the feeling that it was more due to being a reserved person, more than any actual displeasure on his part.

He was, however, rather shocked at the next thing he saw. With a wave of his hand, the young redhead sent Naruto flying several feet through the air with a blast of sand, only for Naruto to shake himself off and start the antics he always went through when he was having fun. Itachi felt as though he should've expected something strange to happen. Naruto had a habit of attracting some of the oddest people.

Seconds later, his groceries dropped to the ground as he shot forward in front of the two boys, drawing a kunai to knock aside a flurry of shuriken aimed at the young redheaded boy.

_Now why would they be after him?_ While Itachi was unsure of why someone would be targeting the other boy, Gaara was perfectly aware of what was happening. Either his father was targeting someone he seemed to be friends with, as to prevent him from developing ties outside of the village, or he was simply using the opportunity to take a chance at successfully assassinating him when he might have been off guard. Gaara wasn't sure which of the two was the case, but he was certain it was one of those possibilities.

"Naruto. I think it's time for us to leave." _That's probably the fastest that we've ever outlived our welcome somewhere._ Naruto nodded as Itachi started to cautiously walk forward, not wanting to reveal his Sharingan unless he had to, but turned to Gaara instead of following Itachi's lead.

"C'mon, you can come with us."

"What?"

"You don't have anybody here, right? Then come with us."

"I…" _Go with them?_ "I'd like that."

He followed Naruto and the older boy who seemed to be taking care of him, knowing they'd be safe until they reached the pass leading to and from the village. Shinobi weren't unwilling to fight in their homes, but they preferred avoiding it whenever possible. Especially when dealing with someone who wasn't a citizen of that particular village, seeing as if someone visiting the village was to escape, or cause massive damage to the village, the possibility of other villages finding out about weaknesses in security increased. Of course, Gaara wasn't calmed by this. It had only taken them a few minutes to get to the pass at the speed they were going. All they'd really had time for was Naruto accidentally bumping into a few people at one of the stands in the market.

Walking through the pass, Itachi's grip on the kunai tightened, and he glanced towards the upper cliffs. After a short period, he jumped backwards a few feet, as nearly two dozen shinobi landed around them, weapons drawn.

_Well that's not good._ Speaking to the boys behind him, he ordered them to get closer to him. Even as he issued the order, by some unspoken signal, the shinobi attacked. Six of them leapt forward to engage Itachi in close quarters, as ten others began slinging kunai and shuriken at them. The remaining shinobi began to make hand seals for a jutsu Itachi didn't recognize.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to defeat them otherwise, Itachi activated the Sharingan, and summoned half a dozen shadow clones to combat the enemies coming to engage him. Unfortunately, even as he turned to protect the boys behind him, it was too late. The redheaded boy was fine, the sand had protected him with ease. However, whatever controlled that sand didn't seem as inclined to protect those around him. Naruto's clothes were covered in rips and tears, and a kunai was planted in one of the arms he'd raised to protect himself, the blade almost coming out the other side.

Knowing what he did, Itachi was certain Naruto would be fine, despite several cuts from the shuriken barrage and a kunai piercing his arm. The fox would undoubtedly come to his aid in some form, and he knew that Naruto had a tendency to heal from smaller injuries in minutes, where it would normally take hours, or even days to fully heal. The same would likely occur here. Gaara, on the other hand, had no clue that his newest and only friend would be okay.

Enraged didn't even begin to describe how the container of Shukaku was feeling.

Now Itachi had been surprised by Gaara's unique ability to manipulate sand, and the shinobi of Sunagakure were perfectly aware of Gaara's situation. That didn't stop any of them from being surprised when four of the assassins were suddenly gone, the only remains being the blood pouring from inside the small walls of sand that had popped up in the pass. Terrified, the Sand ninja began flipping and dodging, trying to avoid the spikes and pillars of sand flying between the walls of the cliffs.

For a moment, Itachi was relieved, as the boy appeared to be coming to their aid. However, moments later, he realized that Naruto's friend didn't have as much control as it first appeared. A spike of sand went astray, slamming into Naruto and ripping his shirt apart, leaving a long gash across the boy's side as he fell unconscious. Despite his desire for Naruto to have friends, it was getting too dangerous here. Besides, he'd been preparing to try this technique before the shinobi had attacked them.

He jumped to Naruto, leaning beside the younger boy to at least partially cover his body. Rushing through several signs, he gathered his chakra, inhaled, and launched a stream of fire through the air. The flames went straight for several feet, before swinging to the side. It continued this for several moments, slowly rising each time to form a swirling wall of flame around the two. Seconds later, the whirlwind of flames exploded outwards through the pass, knocking all of the combatants backwards.

Grabbing Naruto, Itachi used the Body Flicker to speed through the canyon, using the dust that had risen in the explosion as cover to avoid anyone who may have gotten up. When the shinobi of Sunagakure stood up, trying to see through the cloud of dust, they were unable to find the duo. Gaara had gone into a sort of unconscious meditative state. Not enough to give the beast full control, but more than enough to actively protect himself with the sand. Unwilling to face off against Gaara again if he were to "awaken" from his state, they retreated back to the village to inform the Kazekage of their failure.

Nearly half an hour later, as Gaara came to his senses once more, he looked around the clearing in horror, staring at the torn and broken bodies strewn across the ground. Seconds later, he shed a tear for the first time since his uncle's death as his eyes came to rest upon a shredded orange shirt, lying in a pool of blood.

* * *

AN: R&R please. The author likes it when you do that. Anyway, as you might notice, I probably won't have a crazy number of names for various jutsu. Some of them might be introduced by name on occasion, especially if it's someone who's learning it themselves (Like Naruto), but when the "professionals" use attacks, it'll probably just be descriptions, or in some instances they'll say it in their minds. Either way, next time on Oath: Naruto and Itachi take a spot in the background, as we finally get to see the battle between the Snake Sannin and the God of the Akatsuki, with a few special guest appearances that I'm hoping will be a nice surprise.


	14. Apprentice: Progression

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

Relatively Important AN: I was ultimately displeased with the "time jump" segments, and several of you seem to agree, so I've gone back and relabeled them slightly in what's hopefully a more effective system. Unless otherwise noted, they take place at roughly the same time. "Suna" is the events in the previous chapter. You'll see what that means in a moment. Hope the new one is less confusing.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"_**Brat."**_

"Fox?" Was he back in his mind? _Of course,_ he thought. _Where else would I be?_ What had happened? He remember running after Itachi, bumping into a few people along the way, and Gaara wasn't far behind them. Then there was…Pain? He'd been hit with something. It must've knocked him out.

"What happened, furball?"

"_**Have you no respect for your betters?"**_

"…Not really."

"_**I like you. You're lucky. You'd make a poor snack though. Far too much of a pain to get down."**_

"So…Ya gonna tell me what happened? Y'know, why 'm here and all that?"

"_**Short version? You were pummeled into the dirt, and the Shukaku went insane."**_

"Shukaku?"

"_**The other one. Like you. Scrawny. No family. Strange eyes. Likes sand."**_

"Oh, you mean Gaara!" He seemed to register what the fox was saying. "Wait a minute, Gaara's like me!?"

"_**Quick one, aren't you?"**_

"Oh shove it, ya oversized red carpet."

"_**Worm. Besides, I'd say I'm more of an orange shade."**_

"This is dumb. I'm outta here."

"_**Before you go, I have something for you. Don't abuse it."**_

"Something for me? Wha-"

"_**You were injured. If you die, I die. And I'm not ready to die because one of you fragile hairless vermin couldn't take some heat. So I'll help you if it becomes necessary."**_

And with that, a small stream of chakra spread through the bars, wrapping around Naruto. Moments later, he awakened to find it dark outside, and he was wearing something…Heavy. Well maybe not heavy, but heavier than usual. And he actually had some kind of pillow, which was definitely new.

"You're awake." Itachi looked down at Naruto, the younger boy's head resting on his leg. "Good."

"…Where're we?" Naruto sat up, the neck of the too-large shirt almost hanging over his shoulder, and looking at the various makeshift bandages around his arms. "And what's with the shirt? Where's Gaara?"

"We're out of Sunagakure. Your shirt was destroyed in the scuffle. As for Gaara…" He paused, unsure of exactly how to continue. "We…Couldn't bring him."

"What!" Naruto was livid. "Whattya mean we couldn't bring him!?"

"He went mad. That sand, the sand protecting him…It was wild. It couldn't be controlled, and I don't know if I could've stopped it. I might've even made it worse if I'd tried."

Naruto looked at him angrily for a few minutes, before sitting down and apparently dropping it. He doubted that Naruto would forgive him for a long time, but he could at least see where Itachi was coming from.

"I am sorry. I know you don't make friends often." He saw Naruto begin to shiver, the desert night far colder than the young blond was used to.

"…Come here." Not feeling up to an argument, Naruto crawled back over to his "brother" and as the older boy wrapped an arm around him, leaned into his chest, resting against the thinner undershirt that he always wore.

"Get some rest." Naruto shifted slightly, and his muffled voice reached Itachi's ears.

"'Night Itachi."

"…Goodnight, Naruto."

* * *

Miles away, in the village of Konohagakure, Shisui Uchiha was putting his best friend's younger brother to bed. The boy had fallen asleep on the way back to the compound after spending almost the entire day training. He was progressing surprisingly well. _Or perhaps,_ Shisui contemplated. _Perhaps it's not so surprising, considering who his brother is._ Once the boy was comfortably in bed, Shisui slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly.

"Shisui?" He looked over, seeing Mikoto standing in the doorway.

"Ma'am." He gave her a small bow. She was, after all, the wife of the highest-ranking member of the clan, and a skilled shinobi in her own right. Had he been someone else, Kakashi for example, it probably would've helped that she had really, really nice legs.

"I wanted to thank you. For being there for Sasuke, when…" He waved it off. Even if he didn't feel obligated to watch after Sasuke for his best friend's sake, he wanted to. His best friend's little brother had a lot of potential.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, it's fun. Like having the little brother I never had." He'd seen Itachi in much the same way.

"Still," A much deeper voice spoke from just beyond the doorway, and seconds later Fugaku Uchiha rounded the corner. "We wished to give you thanks. As the head of this clan, I can't always be there for him. Without Itachi he likely would have been alone, had you not taken on the role of being his mentor."

_Mentor?_ "You know about the training, then?"

"Indeed. It wasn't that difficult to figure out. I believe he mistook my words, earlier. I had no intention of preventing him from doing something he loved so much. I looked forward to watching him grow more skilled, in fact."

"Yeah," Shisui rubbed the back of his head."I had a feeling that was what happened."

"Shisui," Mikoto spoke, turning back to the entrance. "You've been busy all day. Would you like some dinner?"

"Y'know, if it's not too much trouble, dinner sounds pretty good."

"So," Fugaku asked as they followed his wife. "How is he?"

"Sasuke? He's pretty good. Not the prodigy that Itachi was, but he's still got some impressive skills for his age."

"I wasn't referring to his training."

"What? Oh!" Shisui collected himself, and thought back on Sasuke's actions over the last few weeks. "Actually, he's holding up pretty well. He seems happy, really. I think Itachi might've said something to him about it. He hasn't said anything, but I don't bring it up much."

"You think he knows where Itachi is?" Mikoto continued her work on the meal, but Shisui saw her tense slightly at Fugaku's query.

"No." He shook his head. "No, I doubt it. He didn't seem worried, but he's never given any indication that he knew any kind of specifics."

After that, the conversation turned towards less meaningful subjects, and the night continued without any further incident.

* * *

Staring at the chaos before him, the red-furred fox couldn't help but wish their new client would summon one of them, any of them, just to calm things down.

"Peace! Peace I say!" Yama ran around the two wrestling foxes frantically, in a bizarre movement that somehow pulled off being a skip, waddle, roll all at once.

It had all started when Byakko had half-heartedly referred to Yama as a "senile gray rat," something he'd apparently picked up from this new boy most of them had heard about. Naturally, Byakko's brother Igoka, ever prepared to stand up for their grandfather's honor and wanting to pick an argument with his brother, quickly demanded an apology. With their little sister Yukura's goading, the two were quickly rolling around on the ground, tearing everything around them up in the process.

Yama, of course, wasn't helping. Sometimes he had to wonder if the elder fox really was insane. Throughout the entire fight, he'd been excitedly running around the combatants switching between screaming about "love and peace," and cheering the two on, telling them to "bring down the whole forest."

Trying to ignore the insane happenings of his more direct family, Nibura's thoughts turned back to their new client. He wasn't certain he could trust Yama's word, given his questionable mental state, but he trusted Byakko without hesitation. If his son was certain that the boy contained the spirit of the Kyuubi no Yoko…Well, they would certainly have to watch his progress. They may not have been on the greatest terms with the Great Fox, having allied themselves with the humans over time, but it was still the most respected, and feared, of their ancestors.

"Jugular! The jugular you must bite, yes, yes!"

"Rip his ears off, Byakko!"

Sighing, he turned back to his family, deciding it was about time to do a little refereeing. Goodness knew that between their grandfather and sister's encouragements, those two would be at this for days unless someone stepped in. And with their mother Ashira there to stop it, and she would most definitely have stopped it, it was up to him.

"What in the name of the Great Fox is going on here!"

Hearing that voice, he didn't need to see how Yukura's eyes widened, or how Byakko and Igoka suddenly stopped biting at one another, or even how Yama had rapidly burrowed out a tunnel leading away from the small area they'd been residing in. It was pretty obvious that Ashira was back.

Nibura suddenly had a deep, longing urge to be far, far away.

* * *

**The Previous Afternoon**

A young woman, or perhaps not as young as one would think, was sitting at a bar about to put back another round of sake when she was pushed into the stand, drink spilling across her shirt.

"Who the hell!?" She began to turn, preparing to put the person who'd made her spill her drink through a few walls, but came to a stop as soon as she saw the face in front of her.

"Sorry lady, in a hurry!" The young blond continued running behind a slightly older dark-haired boy, and followed by a red-headed boy about the same age. She stared after them for several moments, before a voice spoke up from behind her.

"Is something wrong, Miss Tsunade?"

Tsunade turned towards her younger companion, and sat back at the bar, looking in the direction the boy had just left in.

"…No. Just seeing ghosts." The Slug Sannin mumbled, turning back to the bar and waving for another drink.

"Miss Tsunade?"

"It's nothing, Shizune. Don't worry about it." _Impossible. But still…_She tossed back one more shot, before slamming the cup down and walking away from the stand, Shizune following in confusion.

* * *

**Two Weeks Pre-Suna, The Land of Fire…**

The boys had been travelling through the forests of the Land of Fire for a little over a week now, and they'd yet to do anything particularly interesting. Well, that wasn't true. They'd yet to do anything interesting by Zabuza's definition, which generally involved violence. Teaching the boy the summoning technique, successfully no less, was impressive. But still didn't involve fighting, so the Demon of the Mist was still bored.

Haku and the Demon Brothers, on the other hand, were having a blast on the little "spy mission" Zabuza had decided they were going on. The Demon Brothers were enjoying the break from fighting, not that they didn't love combat, and Haku…Well, Haku just enjoyed watching the antics of the spunky little blond one, Naruto. Zabuza had to admit that he could be pretty entertaining at times.

However, they'd been more on guard than usual for the last several days. Zabuza was certain that the elder of the two boys, Itachi if he wasn't mistaken, and the Demon Brothers were also feeling the presence nearby. He wasn't sure if Haku and the blond were aware of it, but at the least, they were probably aware that the older members of their respective groups were more tense than they'd been before. Or at least Haku would be. Itachi's little companion really was rather oblivious.

He'd been waiting for his chance to seek out the one that had been following the two boys, and he was certain that for whatever reason, it was them the shinobi was after. It seemed he had his chance when the boys set up their camp for the night. Whoever it was, this shinobi, was closer than any time before. Leaving Haku with Gozu and Meizu, he left to find the man.

He was certainly surprised to see his former comrade relaxing in a tree nearby. He leaped up to a branch just across from the one the oddly-colored man resided in.

"Hoshigaki."

The strangely-colored man glanced over to him, seemingly unsurprised by his fellow swordsman's presence.

"Momochi. It's been a while."

Zabuza drew the massive blade from his back. "Not that long, brother."

Kisame laughed. "Brothers. Not since you tried to kill the Mizukage, Momochi. The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist are finished. None of us are brothers now." It was true. Their little "family" had split apart long before. Kisame eyed Zabuza's sword.

"Put that thing away, Momochi. I'm not here to fight."

"I know. You're following those boys." He extended his arm, pointing the blade it held towards the other swordsman. "Why?"

"Why so curious?"

"Let's just say I've taken an interest in those two."

Kisame closed his eyes, grinning. "And now you're watching their backs for them. Getting soft, Momochi?"

"Don't count on it."

Kisame shrugged, standing to stretch out on the branch. "Well, as long as you're still the same bloodthirsty bastard I remember, I guess we can stay on good terms."

"You haven't answered my question, Hoshigaki."

"Well maybe I'm interested in them too. Ever think of that?"

"Don't play with me. I know you better than that. What do you want with them?"

"Just watching them for an…associate. You don't need to worry, Momochi. I'm not going to hurt them. In fact, I'm supposed to watch out for them. But hey, if you're interested in the job…"

"…I'll hold you to that, Hoshigaki." With that, he re-sheathed the blade on his back, and flipped backwards off the branch. He had no intention of leaving Kisame to his own devices, but he'd leave the man alone unless he tried anything. And he needed to inform Gozu and Meizu of what they could be dealing with. Haku too. Once he might not have told the boy, or left out a number of details because he spent too much time worrying about Gozu, Meizu, and him anyway. But Haku was getting older. At his age, Zabuza had slaughtered hundreds. He could handle the information that they might come into conflict with a fellow member of the Seven Swordsmen.

Besides, they would probably have this sorted out by the time they got to the Land of Wind. Neither he or Kisame were likely to be able to keep following the duo very closely once they reached the desert.

* * *

**Four Weeks Pre-Suna, Amegakure…**

Pain walked across the room, stepping up to the balcony entrance and walking out, and making a short jump to the railing, Konan following behind him. As he stood on the railing of the balcony overlooking Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain, the orange-haired man looked over his domain. The dark haired woman beside him watched him for a few minutes before speaking.

"Something on your mind?" Her eyes relaxed, taking on what was probably the closest she came to a joking expression. "Worried?" He glanced down at her, before turning to watch over the village again.

"Of course not, Konan." He was never worried. "Simply curious. Orochimaru can be quite the wild card. I wonder what he's planning." Even as he said it, the doors behind him opened, a familiar voice that exuded pure arrogance coming through.

"Well, well. Hello, My Lord."

"Konan." She didn't need him to finish. She left the room, giving the legendary Sannin a warning glance as she walked by. As the door closed behind her, Pain turned around, addressing his underling.

"Orochimaru. What brings you here?"

"I just want to play a little game," the snake-like ninja's grin widened, and his eyes suddenly shifted. "My Lord."

Rin'negan activated, Pain stepped down from the balcony's railing. If his former underling wanted to play, then he would make sure it was a game the Sannin wouldn't soon forget.

Orochimaru summoned the Kusanagi sword, pulling it from his mouth. "Let's see if the Rin'negan is as powerful as the legends say."

As the Sannin and the Rin'negan master faced off, a storm appeared over the village of Amegakure at Pain's beckoning. He knew Orochimaru enjoyed using clones to toy with his opponents, and the ability to sense people's locations and chakra levels through the rain would be a good counterbalance for that tendency.

"You've overstepped your bounds, Orochimaru."

"I'm no longer limited by your boundaries, Nagato."

"No?" And a pillar of water shot down through the ceiling, the wooden roof splintering under the pressure. Orochimaru's eyes widened a fraction as he flipped backwards, for once completely unaware of how his opponent had just performed an attack. Even with the Sharingan, he hadn't seen. But then, the Akatsuki leader was almost completely concealed by a cloak, and even his hands weren't visible. _His muscle movements were hidden._

Frustrated that he hadn't considered the possibility, Orochimaru took a second to consider what Pain might do next. Or at least, he would have, had a massive salamander not crashed through the already damaged roof, yet another orange-haired man sitting atop the creature's back.

_Wait. I __**know**__ that Salamander. I need a second._ He raked his thumb across his teeth, rubbing the blood drawn from the movement across the tattoo on his arm, and placing it to the ground. The seals activated, and the spiky-haired Pain leapt to the Salamander as it proceeded to jump from the building. Moments later, the entire top floor of the building exploded, the almost impossibly large snake known as Manda curling himself around the remnants of the building, Orochimaru standing confidently upon the serpent's head.

"Orochimaru." The massive snake's voice was deep, yet somehow still a hiss. "You'd better be prepared to pay the price for summoning me."

"Of course. Take as many as you need. Take the entire village for all I care. But first you target them." Who needed killing was obvious.

"Very well." The serpent struck forward, the Sannin leaping backwards several times along Manda's back as he chased the salamander through the streets. Seeing that the spiky-haired Pain had departed from the salamander's back, he prepared to leap towards him. And he'd only made it a few feet when a fist slammed into his face, knocking him through the air and into yet another nearby building, the legendary Kusanagi falling from his grasp.

Standing, he looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of yet another orange-haired man, this one with long, loose hair running down to his waist. The man grinned, and Orochimaru quickly jumped through the hole he'd just made as he flew through the wall, moments before two dragons made of water slammed into the building, shattering it down to the foundation.

He rolled to his feet, reaching around to pull several shards of wood and plaster from his back. Quickly forming several earth clones, he sent them after the long-haired Pain. Even as he sent them to stall, the spiky-haired one was jumping down towards him from the roof to his right. He flipped through a few more seals, and the air around him started spinning, shooting outwards in all directions.

Just as the cutting winds were about to reach him, the rain swirled around him forming a solid sphere of water. Seconds later, sharpened spikes of earth flew from inside the dome, forcing Orochimaru into a series of flips and spins as he dodged the torrent of spikes targeting him.

The sphere of water dropped, revealing a large man with orange hair standing in front of the spiky-haired Pain, grinning as all of them seemed prone to do. Orochimaru began to move through yet another series of seals, when Manda suddenly appeared over the top of the damaged building behind the two Pains, eyes focused on Orochimaru.

Rin'negan eyes, focused on Orochimaru.

_I'm starting to get tired of this game._ The last of his earth clones flew through the air from behind him, slamming into the ground and dissolving into mud.

Orochimaru arched backwards, appearing to take a deep breath, before lurching forward with his mouth wide open. Dozens upon dozens of small snakes began pouring from his mouth, circling around him and quickly piling around his entire body.

The long-haired pain was falling towards Orochimaru's level, and was just above the now seven foot tall mass of snakes when they suddenly exploded, scorching the long-haired man's flesh and flinging his now-lifeless body through the streets.

The spiky-haired Pain leapt into the air, and the fat one was about to follow when a white serpent composed of smaller white snakes burst through the ground below him. Orochimaru's true form encircled the man, and teeth latching around his ribcage, ripped the upper half of his body off and tossed it several dozen feet away.

Seconds later the serpent was cut in half by a blade of water, and the smaller snakes quickly rejoined, returning to the form of the Snake Sannin, grin emerging to his face. Watching as the spiky-haired Pain dropped to a knee, the poison released by his true form already taking effect, he turned to Manda and stared into the summon's eyes with the Sharingan.

The massive serpent boss began thrashing, throwing the Pain possessing it from his head. The combined power of Manda's will and Orochimaru's Sharingan, as well as the disable state of several of his bodies, forced Pain's control from the summoned animal even as the orange-haired summoner rolled to a stop on a nearby roof.

Moving as quickly as he could, Orochimaru body flickered to the recovering Pain's location, drawing the Kusanagi from his mouth yet again. Bringing the sword down as he landed from a jump, the blade stabbed through the back of the orange-haired man's neck, killing him instantly.

Orochimaru stumbled back, sword in hand, and began to laugh as the rain cleared. But even as he celebrated his victory, he knew something was wrong. Perhaps it was his years as a shinobi, or perhaps even his snake-like features, but for whatever reason, he could almost sense the powerful presence nearby. As he heard Manda crash to the ground behind him, unconscious, he turned to face the masked Uchiha.

"Well, if it isn't 'Tobi'."

"Hey, slithery. Why ya fightin' the boss-man?"

Orochimaru directed the blade in Tobi's direction, and the man backed up, arms in the air as if surrendering.

"W-What's eatin' you slithery? Why point that at Tobi!? Tobi's been a good boy!"

Orochimaru grinned, chuckling as if at some private joke. "Drop the façade, Madara. I know perfectly well who you are."

Tobi's posture shifted, his body tensing. A single glaring eye turned on the serpent-like Sannin. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Playing a little game. Would you like to be next?"

"Is that a challenge?" The single Sharingan eye met the opposing two, almost mocking the serpent-like shinobi.

"Now that I have the Sharingan, I've nothing to fear from you. Even Pain, with all of his amusing little tricks, fell before me."

"If you're so certain," he lifted his arms as if welcoming his former ally. "Then show me." Moments later, Tobi glanced down, seeing the blade of the Kusanagi protruding from his chest. As the Orochimaru in front of him fell apart, dozens of white snakes slithering away, he turned behind him to find the grinning Sannin, and smiled at the younger man beneath his mask. "Genjutsu."

"I told you. Even the Rin'negan can no longer sta-" He was cut off, yelling in surprise at the feeling of the flesh of his arms tearing, the now useless limbs falling to the ground as "Madara" burst into black flames, twisting and swirling over Orochimaru before disappearing completely. Standing across the room was the masked Uchiha, arms crossed, six orange haired men standing behind him, among them were those he believed he'd killed.

"How?"

Madara answered the unfinished question. "As I said, Genjutsu. You've been trapped in my little illusionary world since I arrived." Giving Orochimaru a moment to regenerate his arms, he continued. "Your power is nothing to that of the Nine-Tails, and subduing that beast was child's play for a true master of the Sharingan. Do not test my patience again, Orochi."

Orochimaru's smile faded for a moment, silently filing the "Orochi" comment away in his mind. _He's right. I'll need far more power to deal with him. Power that won't be gained in the Akatsuki._ The grin returned in full force, plan already formed in his mind. He bowed his head, and left the room. As he left, the spiky-haired Pain turned his eyes to Madara.

"I wasn't finished yet, Madara. I was hoping to draw some enjoyment from this. I haven't had the chance to test my skills for some time now." The disapproval in Pain's tone was clear.

"Oh? Well, I apologize for spoiling your fun. But it really was beginning to drag on for too long." The masked man hardly seemed guilty.

"He's going to leave the Akatsuki." Madara nodded.

"Indeed."

"Should we stop him?"

Madara was quiet for a moment before answering. "Leave him to Sasori for the moment. We'll deal with the Orochi in due time. For now, we've other business to attend to."

"And Itachi?"

"Tell Kisame to keep our little prodigy under observation. And if you would, send someone less conspicuous to keep a watch over the young Sasuke Uchiha. I'm very interested in seeing if he progresses as well as Itachi did."

Pain nodded, dismissing his other bodies, and began leaving towards the tower that his bodies resided in.

* * *

"You're not taking this seriously enough."

"I still have a long way to go before I'm complete."

"You know I never criticize any of your decisions-"

"I already have most of the Seven within my grasp."

"But with the Sharingan in his possession-"

"And in time the Legendary Ones shall join them."

"Orochimaru has become a greater threat than ever."

"And soon enough, the Kages as well."

Pain was nearing the outer wall of the tower, Konan close behind him. Placing his hand over a section of the wall, he activated several unseen switches within, and repeated this process in several other places, revealing the hidden opening leading into a chamber with a set of six tubes, five of which were occupied by the bodies he'd dismissed earlier. A place that only he could reach without aid, or enough force to alert him of someone's presence.

"And Madara is weaker than he used to be-"

"You have no reason to fear, Konan, for me or yourself."

"But sooner or later he'll be back at full strength."

"For no matter how much power Madara may attain-" Pain activated yet another secret door, one that even Konan had never seen before, and they entered a room shrouded in darkness.

"What if he's too strong?"

"He could never hope to defeat…"

Yahiko's body knelt, and Konan followed suit in confusion. Suddenly the room brightened slightly, revealing three sets of six tubes identical to those in the previous room, only a few of them occupied. In the center of the room, a dark-haired figure that Konan hadn't seen in years was seated upon a throne, Rin'negan eyes clear even in the dimly lit room. Then a voice, rough and gravely from years without use, spoke to them.

"A God."

And cracked lips twisted upwards as Nagato smiled.

**End Act One.**

* * *

IMPORTANT AN: I have some relatively important info regarding this fic that I think y'all would probably be interested in. I don't want to ramble too much on here, so the details are in the "Oath" section of my forums, along with some other information. Hope to hear from you guys, and hope the chapter was up to expectations.


	15. Return: Familiar Roads

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here we go. Hope y'all enjoy the chapter.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

Looking over at her sensei as he talked to the old man a few feet away, or half-heartedly listened to the old man's ramblings while flipping through the pages of his book, to be more precise, Sakura contemplated their situation. They both knew that Kakashi wasn't telling them something. The problem, at least in Sakura's eyes, was that they had no idea what it was. They'd been assigned a C-Rank mission, almost unheard of for a rookie team of Genin, especially with a group that was short a member, to act as bodyguards for a bridge-builder in the Land of Waves.

To make it even better, she and Sasuke were alone together. Well, besides Kakashi and the old man, of course, but they didn't really count. It was more along the lines of "they were together without Ino" than anything. Something that Sakura happily noted would undoubtedly make the other girl green with envy.

Still, she was a little concerned. Initially, she hadn't thought anything of getting a C-Rank mission. Sasuke was from the legendary Uchiha Clan, so naturally his team would get more serious missions before anyone else. She was nervous, sure, but they wouldn't send them on a mission they couldn't handle, right? Yet Sasuke had been acting strange throughout the entire trip. He was more cautious, more alert…

_And so cool!_ She couldn't help it. There was just something about the strong, quiet boy that she was drawn to…Along with pretty much every other girl in their class. When it came to the guys, most of them seemed to either agree with Shikamaru, whom stuck with the opinion was that they were all just too troublesome, or Kiba, who was just annoyed that the Uchiha boy got so much attention.

Leaning her arms against the side of the small boat and looking out over the water, she continued to work at figuring out what was going on. She honestly just wasn't sure what the problem was. The Hokage had already warned them that they were dealing with criminals. Apparently something had happened a few years back, and the local "tyrant businessman" had stopped harassing the locals, but he certainly hadn't gone as far as to provide them with protection. So when a number of bandits had taken up residence somewhere, Tazuna had seen fit to hire a few shinobi to help protect the small town and, hopefully, figure out where the bandits were hiding out.

_But if it were that simple, Sasuke wouldn't be so edgy._ But why would the Hokage lie to them? Or if Kakashi knew, why lie to her and Sasuke? Surely if there was something overly dangerous, they wouldn't have let them go. Or if they did, then not without telling them what they were getting involved in.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi push Tazuna to the ground, and absently heard his yell for them to get down. She dropped to a knee as several small smoke bombs landed on the deck and began to cloud her vision, reaching for a kunai on the way, and managed to make out that Sasuke had already readied several shuriken himself.

"Sakura, Sasuke! Guard Tazuna!" Moving towards his voice and trying not to cough, she managed to get close enough to see her companions standing protectively in front of their client, who was kneeling near the wall of the cabin.

"Take the left." And so she rushed to Tazuna's left side, trying to scan for any attackers. With her on the left, Sasuke on the right, and Kakashi standing directly in the center, she figured, their enemies would have to go through one of them before they could reach Tazuna. Naturally, her anxiety went up several notches. She'd had smaller sparring matches before as all academy students did, and Kakashi had been training them for a few weeks now, but this was her first real fight. She'd never even tried to take on someone who would actually go for the kill before.

Kakashi's head tilted slightly, and he leaned forward a little, as if preparing to run. "You two, stay with Tazuna. I shouldn't be long."

She wasn't sure if he could see her, but she gave him a nod and heard a brief sound as he began to move forward, but no more. She heard a few clangs and yells from ahead of her, and she was pretty sure she saw Sasuke move, though she couldn't be certain. As the smoke began to clear, she could make out someone running their way. Several someones, to be precise. Not saying anything, Sasuke rushed forward to greet the four charging men, as Kakashi dealt with the other dozen that seemed to have flooded onto the boat under the cover, most of which were armed with a variety of knives and swords.

Sasuke's hands flicked forward, and half a dozen shuriken sliced through the air, coming to stop just in front of the men, even as they began to duck in an attempt to dodge them. As he suddenly seemed to disappear, the men began to stand, raising their weapons and looking around in confusion. Only to cry out moments later as the shuriken at their feet flew upwards, cutting into their legs, drawn by nearly invisible strings, and forcing them to the ground.

As the men fell, she saw another charge Sasuke, only for him to effortlessly duck, and fling the man over his shoulder, then dash forward to engage more of them.

_Sasuke is so cool!_ The distracting thought was all the opportunity one of the men needed, and she barely managed to raise her kunai in time to block a strike as he jumped forward and sliced at her with a small knife, barely larger than her kunai. He went into a flurry of quick, small slashes, and despite her attempts, began to push her away from Tazuna. Though thankfully, he seemed more distracted with removing her from the equation than actually attacking the old man.

She kept up her dodging and blocking for several seconds, before a slight, poorly timed deflection went wrong. The man's knife slid along the width of her kunai, slicing across the top of her hand. As he seemed to relax a little, Sakura let her anger at being hurt, as well as at the possibility that she'd disappoint Sasuke, take over. As he drew back for another slice, she rushed forward, and violently slammed her knee between his legs, and pulled her uninjured fist back before shooting it forwards into the man's nose, knocking him to the ground in a spray of blood.

_Did I really do that?_ The thought was brief, as the pain in her hand began to resurface. She clutched the wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding as Tazuna rushed towards her.

"Are you alright, kid?" Seeing yet another man charging towards them, she nudged Tazuna to the side and moved in front of him, pulling yet another kunai from her pouch and holding it with her off hand.

As he approached, she forced her hand forward, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to stop the blade with her off hand, and certainly not with her injured hand. She was okay at practice matches, but when it came down to it, she never really one of the fighters in their class, and it was only as she watched her inevitable death approach that she realized how little attention she'd given to becoming the shinobi she'd sworn to be, probably because of her focus on Sasuke.

Still, it was either that or being killed and letting Sasuke, Kakashi, and Tazuna down without so much as trying to stop it. If nothing else she could say that she'd given it a shot. Closing her eyes and bracing herself, absent-mindedly hearing Kakashi call her name, she waited for the attack.

An attack that never made contact.

She didn't feel the impact she was expecting, but she did feel something wet spray across her face. She opened her eyes again, confused. She'd expected pain, or at least something indicating she'd been cut. All she'd felt was…_What?_ There was something behind her, and it definitely didn't feel like Tazuna. It was only after noting this that her mind finally started to recover from its shock, and she took in the figure of the man hanging in the air in front of her, impaled on what must have been the biggest sword she'd seen in her entire life.

"I'll handle this rabble." The sword arched away from her at an incredible speed, slinging the corpse across the clearing to knock down another of the bandits as he tried to flee. Sakura turned away from the somewhat gruesome scene to look at the man who'd spoken, and in the process saw that the few bandits that Kakashi and Sasuke hadn't already put down were staring at the newcomer in fear. _No,_ she thought, also feeling a nagging sense of dread. _Fear isn't strong enough. They're terrified of him._

Seeing him for herself as she finished turning, she couldn't blame them. Even aside from the bandages concealing the lower half of his face, the massive blade that he held with ease, and the almost demonic glint of joy and bloodlust in the man's eyes, he just had a…presence. There was something fear inspiring about him that went beyond his physical appearance. She snapped out of her stupor as the man leaped over her towards the few remaining shinobi, most having either been defeated by her teammates, or having fled before the man's arrival. Those that hadn't run away before certainly seemed inclined to do so now. She watched in a combination of fascination and horror as the new arrival began to slaughter the men who'd attacked them, even those who were trying to flee.

Suddenly, Kakashi appeared in front of her, watching the scene for himself, and Sasuke moved to her side, nearly as distracted as she was. For all of his training and experience with Shisui, he'd never seen genuine combat in the field. He'd most definitely never seen something as brutal as what the bandaged man who dealing out in front of them. Kakashi…Well, Kakashi didn't seem faced at all, if his posture was any indication. Not that this was a surprise to the Genin, considering their sensei's experience. Moments later, Tazuna walked up behind them, strangely calm for someone who wasn't trained for this kind of thing.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi's voice sounded from in front of them, concerned.

"Ye-Yes. I'm alright, sensei."

As the man's blade was coming down towards the last survivor, who was laid out on the ground, cowering in fear, a sheet of ice sprang up from the ground in front of him, and a young woman stepped out. The man's blade came to an immediate stop, mere centimeters in front of the young woman's face as she stepped through, an exasperated smile on her face.

"Zabuza, you know we were supposed to keep some alive."

"…Sorry, Haku. Got a little carried away, I guess." Somehow, even though they could barely hear them from this distance, the two Genin had the sneaking suspicion that the man wasn't as sorry as he claimed.

"Of course, Zabuza." She clearly didn't believe it either. "Either way, Mister Uchiha-" Sasuke's eyes widened at this, easily recognizing his family name. "-and the others have finished cleaning up at their hideout. They're on their way."

"Thanks for the message, Haku." As the ice disappeared, Zabuza threw a disgusted look at the cowering bandit, taking note of the wet spot on the man's pants.

"Pathetic."

"You can be a frightening man, Zabuza." She turned towards them, and Sakura looked to Sasuke, who was staring at the girl rather intently. _What's he staring at? Why doesn't he ever stare at me? She's not __**that**__ much prettier than me, is she?_

The girl turned towards them, and Sakura couldn't help the twinge of jealousy as her gaze drifted to Sasuke, only to move towards herself, then to Kakashi, and finally coming to rest on their client.

"Mister Tazuna," She called. "Everything's been taken care of on our end."

"Thanks, young man. That's just super! I knew you all would handle it." Sakura looked at the old man in confusion, and her mind finally registered what he'd said. _Young man. Wait…_She looked at the "girl" who'd come through the ice. _Man? Man! No way! He's way too girly to be a boy!_

As Sakura contemplated the lack of justice in the universe, Kakashi was…requesting, some answers from Tazuna. Particularly, exactly what was going on, though he already had a few ideas.

"So," He finished. "I think we deserve an explanation." Tazuna seemed a little nervous at Kakashi's questioning, which was a bit odd considering the fact that he seemed to be familiar with this "Zabuza" character.

"You shouldn't blame him, Captain Hatake. It was my idea to hire you, after all." And two pairs of eyes turned towards the new arrival as three figures jumped down behind him, one clad in bright orange and blue, the other two wearing masks and strange clawed gauntlets. Kakashi, for his part, seemed completely unsurprised. Sasuke, on the other hand, was stuck between shock and joy at finally seeing the red-and-black-cloaked man again for the first time in over half a decade.

Itachi let himself smile upon seeing Sasuke, and addressed the surprised boy with a fondness he rarely showed anyone.

"It's been a long time, little brother."

* * *

AN: Well, hope y'all enjoyed. I hope Sakura wasn't OOC, since this was really her first appearance in the story, and it was mostly from her POV. Anyway, I still love to hear reviews. It's one of the things that makes posting stories so fun. Anyway, we might be dealing with some changes to later parts of the story, depending on what I think of our Eight-Tailed buddy who just appeared in the manga.


	16. Return: Plans

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Chapter's a little shorter than usual, but it **did** come just a few days after the last one…Plus, really, there's not an exceptional amount going on in this chapter. That's going to change once…Well, you'll see. Don't wanna spoil it, after all.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"It's been a long time, little brother." Before Sasuke could respond, Itachi was in front of him, placing a hand on his head.

"You've grown." He glanced at the men Sasuke had downed, then back to his brother. "I take it Shisui has been training you?"

"Y-yeah, he has."

Itachi smiled slightly. "I thought so. He always had a thing for using shuriken like that." _I also assumed he'd take to watching after you. I've always been able to count on him._

Shifting his hand to the back of Sasuke's head, he pulled him into a sort of awkward half-hug, which Sasuke did his best to return. After a moment they separated, and Itachi turned back to Kakashi as Sasuke began to examine Naruto and the Demon Brothers.

"As I said, Captain, this was my idea."

"Why hire us if you were here? Surely you didn't think that you and the Demon of the Mist couldn't handle something that me and a couple of Genin could. And don't look so surprised, Momochi isn't that hard to recognize after you've seen his picture." And as a captain of ANBU, Kakashi had seen the missing-nin's picture plenty of times.

"…It's not that we couldn't handle them in a fight. You know that perfectly well. But we couldn't just keep fighting them whenever they arrived. Every time we captured or killed one, two more seemed to show up. We needed to find the source. And even our biggest resource for this kind of thing had no idea who it was."

"Biggest source?"

Itachi crossed his arms, and began retelling the tale of what had convinced him that they'd need outside help to deal with their problem…

* * *

**Four Days Earlier...**

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything about any bandits. If I wanted to cause trouble for the villagers, I'd definitely be a bit more subtle about it than mugging them in the forest. **You** made sure of that, boy." Gato crossed his arms, looking across his desk at Itachi.

Itachi looked over him for a moment, before deciding that he wasn't lying. If nothing else, Gato was terrified of shinobi ever since he'd torn the man's headquarters apart and either killed or disabled a number of his most expensive guards before rendering him incapable of using his hand for months. Now that he, Naruto, Zabuza, Haku, Gozu, and Meizu had all temporarily taken up residence in the Land of Waves, Itachi would be genuinely surprised if the man was able to stand up to them with so much confidence.

"Do you have any other information that could help? They're…Organized. Far more organized than most random criminals and bandits usually are. And it's almost as though they have an inside source of some kind. Do you know of any crime families, particularly bold small-time criminals, or anything of the sort?"

Gato hesitated, taking a moment to loosen his tie and clear his throat. Annoyed that he was obviously withholding something, Itachi made his message a little more clear.

"You can tell me, or I can rip it out of your mind and leave you under the illusion that you're a bowl of rice until someone who knows something about genjutsu decides to release you from it. It's your choice." Perhaps being around Naruto **had** been good for him. If nothing else, his threats had become less standard.

"Alright." Gato's voice lowered to a mumble. "Arrogant, pushy bastard."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, nothing. But nobody hears that this came from me." He gave Itachi a pointed look, and Itachi nodded in return. He wasn't about to reveal someone who obviously held a great amount of knowledge regarding the criminal underworld to those who could prevent him from being used as a source in the future. More relaxed now that he had a guarantee that he wouldn't be revealed as a snitch, Gato leaned back, clasping his hands and resting them on his desk.

"Most of the crime families around the country have been gone for a while. The only ones that were real threats, that really knew what they were doing, are still around. But most of them were smart enough to start acting as respectable businesses, and leave their less than legal activities under the table. Most of the others were wiped out either by the families I just mentioned, or various authorities."

"So it couldn't be one of them?"

"Not likely. Not unless they intended to draw attention to themselves, anyway. As for an individual or individuals who could have formed this little group…I don't know about anyone exceptional who could have taken charge. And believe me, I know these things. After all, they usually come to me for aid. Not many people have the funding to pay off shinobi villages to stop hunting their missing-nins. I'd have noticed if someone special had shown up."

Itachi closed his eyes in thought, and after a few moments of silence, turned to leave the older man's office.

"Thank you for the information. I'm sure you'll inform us if you find anything new." He didn't need to look at Gato to know the man would agree to it. He didn't have anyone under his employ that could stand up to even Naruto by this point, much less the combined forces of both his and Zabuza's groups.

* * *

**Present…**

"Even a known former crime lord had no idea who they were. So we had to come up with another plan." Itachi went silent, and as Zabuza seemed to have no intention of continuing, Haku decided to finish instead.

"We let a little information slip, including the routes that the merchants would be most likely to take. It took a little work to make the "lost" information convincing, but we managed. Still, we knew that we couldn't be the ones to step in and guard them. They seem to have come to recognize us, and avoid us when we act as escorts."

Sasuke interrupted as Haku took a breath, curious about their little operation. "So why not just escort all of them, or travel in larger groups? The town isn't that big."

Haku just smiled, seemingly unfazed by the interruption. "A few years ago, it wouldn't have been a problem. But ever since they finished building the Great Naruto Bridge-"

"Yeah! They named it after me! Ya see, there was this guy who w-" Before Naruto could continue his tale, much to his disappointment, Itachi had reached over and covered his mouth.

"You can tell them the story later. It's not polite to interrupt."

Ignoring the muffled complaints coming from the young blond, Haku continued his explanation with a smile.

"As I was saying, since the bridge was completed, the number of people traveling to and from the Land of Waves has risen rapidly. We can't escort them all. Not with just a few of us."

"And since they would recognize you," Kakashi lifted his head, glancing at the elder of the two Uchihas. "You decided to hire a couple of shinobi from a foreign village. A team of rookies, no less. I'll also take a guess, and say that you let this information slip out as well."

The exact nature of what had happened seemed to dawn on Sakura. "I get it. They knew they couldn't come after you, but we were a different story. So you used us to draw them out. But earlier, you-" She pointed to Haku. "-said that you'd "finished up" the others. So you must have tracked them back to where they were hiding, right?"

Itachi nodded at the young girl, who Naruto suddenly seemed to take notice of.

"Precisely. We used a summoned creature to track their scents while they were still fresh. The plan was to finish them all with a single strike. I just didn't intend to do so quite as literally as Momochi here seemed to." He surveyed the area again, looking at Zabuza's work on the men unfortunate enough to stay behind and fight him instead of fleeing.

Somewhat pleased that his assumptions regarding their plans were correct, Kakashi put aside his interest in these summoned creatures Itachi mentioned, and decided to get back to business.

"Itachi. I'm going to have to ask you to come with us, back Konohagakure. You are a missing-nin, after all. Besides, you had a lot of potential, and we're a bit short on Jonin right now."

"Of course, Captain Hatake." Itachi released Naruto, who'd finally stopped complaining. "That's why I thought we should hire someone from Konoha. I think Naruto and I have been away from our home for far too long."

Kakashi nodded, turning to Zabuza as well. "You're welcome to come as well. I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't mind having the Demon of the Mist on our payroll." As Zabuza closed his eyes, seeming to think it over, Kakashi decided to add a little more incentive. "Not to mention our protection. After all, as a member of our village, continuing to openly hunt you would be considered a personal sleight against Konoha."

Opening a single eye and looking to Haku, he gave a small shrug.

"Haku, you go ahead and stick with them. Me and these two have some other business to finish up. We'll probably catch up in a coupla weeks."

"These two and I, Zabuza." Haku corrected. Giving the older man a smile, he turned to Kakashi. "I'd be glad to come with you, as long as Zabuza can come later as well."

The silver-haired Jonin nodded. "Of course."

"So you're like, really, really pretty." The turned to Naruto, who had apparently popped up next to Sakura at some point during their conversation. Even after all these years, Itachi still hadn't figured out how his student could possibly be so loud, but still manage to sneak up on people.

"I, uh-"

"You have a big forehead." Or how he still had no grasp on the concept of tact, no matter how many times Itachi stressed that he should give it a try.

"I think it's cute!" At least this time it was actually a complement. Itachi still had trouble believing that the boy had started calling the Demon of the Mist "bald-brow" or "the bald-browed one." Not to mention his tendency to call Haku "Princess."

As Itachi continued to reflect on how bizarre it was that Naruto had managed to survive without some kind of filter between his brain and his mouth, Sakura was trying to figure out how to take the blonde's comments.

"Um…Thank you?" _I think?_

"Wanna go out with me?" There was also the question of how he could possibly be so horrible with women.

"I-What!? Wait, what!?"

"Oh c'mon, I know this great place to get ramen!"

"She can't."

Naruto and Sakura both turned to the raven-haired boy.

"Why?" Sasuke stayed silent, eyes turned to the side, and Naruto looked back and forth between him and the confused Sakura a few times, before getting a grin on his face. "Ooooh. I gotcha. Alrighty then, Rooster, nothin' to worry about over here."

"Fun as this may be," The silver-haired Jonin turned a page from the novel he'd pulled out as Naruto tried to get a date. "We really should be heading back to Konoha."

Itachi nodded, turning to Tazuna. "My apologies for leaving on such short notice."

"Ah, no problem. I understand how it is. Haven't seen yer family in a long time. I'll tell the kids you said bye."

"Thank you." He turned his head towards Zabuza. "Zabuza, Meizu, Gozu? Take care."

The bandaged man let out a short laugh, and gave yet another careless shrug. "You don't have anything to worry about here. We'll just finish dealing with a couple other problems, and be right back."

Zabuza looked over to Haku, whom Naruto had since joined and started talking to about…something. Honestly, he had no idea what the kid was going on about now.

"Haku, try to stay out of trouble."

"Of course, Zabuza. Try to catch up with us soon."

Zabuza nodded and looked to Naruto. "Hey brat?"

"Whatcha want, Bald-Brow?"

"Make sure to keep getting in trouble."

Naruto just gave him his classic fox grin, and a thumbs up. "Not a problem, Bald-Brow!"

Goodbyes finished, Itachi turned to Naruto as well.

"Naruto, are you ready?" Naruto's fist shot into the air, and he responded with an enthusiastic yell.

"Heck yeah! The world's number one prankster and future Hokage is coming home!"

* * *

AN: Well, there we go. I tried to keep everyone in character. It might be a little harder now that there are going to be a **lot** more characters involved, what with them coming back to Konoha and all. I feel like the Sasuke/Itachi reunion was a little short, but I honestly just had a hard time seeing them having some overly-emotional cheese fest, y'know?

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed, and I'd love to hear what you have to say, as per usual.


	17. Return: Homecoming

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here we go. As always, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I know that it seemed a little off (And several of you seemed to agree), but I'm hoping it was just one of those random chapters that seems to pop up on occasion, and for some reason just isn't quite up to par with the rest. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

Three days. For three days, they'd been walking through the forests to Konohagakure. For three days, they'd been travelling with their new, or at least newly returned, companions. For three days, he'd been doing his best to ignore it.

Finally, Sasuke snapped, and turned to Naruto.

"What's your problem?" _What do you keep staring at? What are you so damn fascinated with?_ Honestly, it was a little creepy. Through their entire journey back to Konoha, Naruto had kept glancing at him and staring at **something**. And if the blond was intent on driving him insane, he at least wanted to know what was so interesting about him that would keep the other kid's attention for so long. Naturally, he was surprised as Naruto jumped towards him, looping an arm around his neck with a grin.

"I've got it! A rooster! It looks like a rooster!" Naruto let go of his neck, and began walking backwards in front of him, forming a square with his thumbs and forefingers, and looking through it at Sasuke as though it was some kind of camera screen. "From now on, you're Rooster-Head! It's perfect!"

Sakura was about to complain about Naruto "mocking" Sasuke, but did a double-take as she took a second to look at his hair. She tilted her head to the left, then to the right, and to the left again, as a strange expression came over her face. _It…It __**does**__ kind of look like a rooster. A little bit._ Seeing her expression, Haku leaned in towards her.

"He doesn't mean anything by it. It's a term of endearment, really." He half-whispered to the girl, who turned to him in confusion.

"He does this to everyone?"

"Hm. People he likes, anyway."

As Haku began regaling Sakura with the origins of some of Naruto's more bizarre nicknames, Sasuke was busy giving Naruto an odd stare, as if he wasn't certain he'd just heard what he thought he had. "You're going to call me what now?"

"Well ya see, first I was gonna call you Freaky-Eyes Junior, but Freaky-Eyes is his name," Naruto pointed towards Itachi as he continued. "And I'm gonna save that one in case he ever has a kid or somethin' so that one was out." Itachi had already tuned out the sound of Naruto's voice. Having already heard several of these nickname speeches before, he was well aware of how the boy would probably ramble on.

"So I've been trying to figure out what to call ya. You don't have a lotta things that I don't already use though. I mean, Sakura over there is Forehead, because of the cute forehead an' all, and you're not girly enough to take Princess from Haku, and you've got eyebrows so I don't have anything on that one, but I finally figured it out! And I gotta say, it works. So from now on you're Rooster-Head!" He finished with a sort of finality, as though there was no room for questioning his decision.

"You're a strange one." Sasuke continued walking, a little relieved when Naruto seemed to turn his attention to the path ahead, instead of him. He remembered Naruto from their childhood. They'd been friends, or at least, he was pretty certain they'd been the closest thing to "friends" that either of them had at the time. Him because he was focused on impressing his brother, Naruto…Well, he wasn't certain why Naruto didn't have many friends. For whatever reason, they'd spent more time with one another than with most other people. From what he did recall, Naruto had always been a little strange. _But seriously, a rooster?_ He turned to look at Naruto again, only to find that he'd disappeared.

"So, Broom-head, whatcha readin' over there?" And Naruto was suddenly standing next to Kakashi, trying to get a look at the book in his hand. The older ninja glanced at him from the corner of his eye, turning the page as he responded.

"Nothing you'd be interested in."

"Really?" Naruto asked, as he finally got a look at the title. "'Cause it looks like one of those naughty books that you used to carry around."

"It's a fine piece of literature."

"So it **is** a naughty book. Lemme see!" Naruto leapt up, trying to grab the book as Kakashi lifted it out of his reach.

"Naruto." Itachi interjected as Naruto prepared to make yet another futile leap towards his goal.

"You're a shinobi. At least try to act like it." He paused, thinking. "If you want to see the book so badly, try using **that** jutsu."

Kakashi paused in confusion as Naruto grinned. Forming a seal, one that Kakashi recognized all too well from the scroll containing Konoha's kinjutsu techniques, a dozen Naruto copies spread around him. Kakashi closed the book, slipping it into a pouch on his vest, and prepared to defend his book. Imagine his surprise when he heard the words "Harem Jutsu" come from the container of the Kyuubi, and ten blonde, teenaged, and very, very naked girls were suddenly swarming him, cooing his name.

Itachi just looked on in amusement, remembering the first time he'd learned of the technique. He liked to think that by now he'd be composed enough, or at least familiar enough with Naruto, to be unaffected by the Sexy Jutsu or the Harem Jutsu, as Naruto had dubbed them. But when he'd first seen it, he'd been several years younger. And any teenage boy would have the same reaction if he woke up in the morning and found two dozen highly attractive naked women surrounding him. Of course, Naruto had been a bit worried when he took a few minutes to come back to consciousness. Apparently, it had also been time to give him "the talk." Yes, that most definitely stood out as one of the most embarrassing moments in Itachi's life.

Pushing aside the memory, he looked to see how Kakashi was doing. As it was, he seemed to be doing surprisingly well for a known pervert. He hadn't passed out or started spurting blood from his nose, at least, though he did seem to be somewhat dazed. As Itachi waited to see if Naruko, as Naruto had decided to name himself when he took on the female appearance, would manage to get the book, he couldn't help but notice that there were two Naruko Clones missing from the group. When he heard the young pink-haired Genin's shout of concern, he had the feeling that he knew where the said Naruko pair had gone.

Turning, the scene was just as he'd expected. The "twin" duo was now standing over a semi-conscious and drooling Uchiha as an annoyed and severely blushing Sakura tried to shake him out of his stupor, with a giggling Haku looking on. Of course, Haku had seen it before as well. He, Zabuza, and Gozu had effectively ignored the appeal of Naruko. Gozu's younger brother Meizu, on the other hand, was considerably less professional, and had reacted as all remotely perverted people seemed to.

He was about to walk over and haul Sasuke on to his shoulder, for he knew well how long that technique could take most teenage boys out of commission, when several of Naruto's clones flew by him, exploding into smoke. Glancing to see what had happened, it seemed that attempting to pull the Icha Icha Paradise novel from Kakashi's vest pouch had pulled the man out of whatever minor daze he'd entered. And the silver-haired Jonin was far from pleased, as was evident by the sudden drop in the number of shadow clones surrounding him.

"Don't," Kakashi picked the real Naruto, no longer in his more feminine form. "Touch. The book." He made that weird, one-eyed smile that only he could pull off effectively. "Seriously, it's a signed first edition copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Don't touch."

Dismissing his clones as Kakashi set him down, Naruto pouted up at the Jonin, mumbling something about "crazy selfish masked perverts," and walked back to join Haku. Amused, Itachi quickly walked over pulled a recovering Sasuke to his feet, and moved to catch up with Kakashi as Sakura began to fuss over the younger Uchiha.

He walked beside the Jonin in silence for a few minutes, before glancing at the man. They weren't too far from Konoha now, probably less than half an hour away. He knew he'd have to talk to a number of people, and only a few of them would be for official purposes. Most of them would probably be family. And small talk wasn't his specialty, as Naruto would often point out whenever he tried, and failed, to make it. So why not give it a shot? After all, since he would be facing people he'd left behind years before, surely someone else from the same village would be decent practice.

"So," He started. "You…really like those books."

"Mmhm. You should try reading them sometime."

"I'll pass." _Let's see…Small talk, small talk._ "…You know, they're making a film adaptation."

As Kakashi was busy thanking every Supreme Being he could think of, the kids of the group were having their own discussion. That is to say, Naruto was telling Haku about Konohagakure as he remembered it, while Sakura continued to insist on making sure that Sasuke was alright. As for Sasuke, well, he had made sure to put both Sakura and Haku between Naruto and himself, and adamantly refused to even look in blond boy's general direction.

"So when we get back, I really wanna show you the Hokage Monument thing! It's really cool 'cause you can see the whole village and a lot of the forest and-" Naruto cut off suddenly, and started staring off into the distance, feeling the familiar presence in his mind.

"_**There's something nearby."**_ The Kyuubi was generally quiet, but occasionally it would tell him when it felt something unusual. Or when he thought it would help cause trouble. Or when he felt like insulting something.

"…_**Anything dangerous?"**_

"_**Uncertain. Something feels…wrong. Out of place."**_

Naruto began sniffing the air, and tried to continue his conversation from before.

"I, uh." He kept sniffing, looking around and ignoring the strange stares he was receiving from the other three Genin. Though he noticed that Itachi's stride had slowed slightly, which was generally a sign that he realized something was off, and was certain that the older Uchiha had noticed his sudden silence. Naruto had figured out some time before that Itachi had come to trust what Naruto's "tenant" had to say about the environment. Neither of them had any doubt that the Kyuubi would willingly lead anyone in Itachi's family to a violent death, but both knew that he wouldn't intentionally endanger his vessel for any reason.

"Yeah, so I really want to show you this ramen place too. There's nobody else who can make ra-Seriously, what the hell is it?!" He couldn't smell anything, and he wasn't hearing anything unusual, but the fox insisted there was something going on.

"_**It feels familiar…"**_ The Kyuubi's voice trailed off, and when he spoke again, turned almost hostile, with the strange hint of eagerness that he always seemed to have when he thought there would be destruction involved. _**"Orochi."**_

"_**Orochi? The hell is an Orochi?"**_

As Naruto glanced at the three next to him, it seemed that they'd also realized something was wrong. Or at least, they'd realized that the two senior members of their group were being more cautious, and that one of their fellow junior members was acting odd. Soon, the gates of Konoha were within sight, and the younger members of their little crew had started to relax a little when they saw another small group walking towards them from Konoha's gates.

It wasn't hard to recognize the blue and white robes of the Kazekage, and the men with him were undoubtedly shinobi from Sunagakure. The group gave the Kazekage a respectful nod, save for Naruto, who was too busy staring at one of the Kazekage's "bodyguards." As soon as he'd seen the strange man with the eye patch over his right eye, the Kyuubi had started raging about this "Orochi" thing, and "settling a score." And Naruto had to admit, there was just something unnerving about the man…Which was bizarre, considering the fact that Naruto had spent a significant amount of his life knowing that one of the most dangerous creatures in history was currently sealed in his body. He continued staring after the man, who didn't seem to give him any special attention, until they were out of sight. Though he was slightly disturbed at how the man had eyed the Uchiha brothers. It reminded him of how the Kyuubi looked at him and Itachi when they'd entered his mind for the first time. The same way hunters looked at their prey.

Tuning out the Kyuubi's angered ranting, which seemed to be dying down a bit now that they'd gotten other group's sight, he turned back towards Konoha only to see that they'd gotten considerably closer to the gates. Apparently they'd sped up a little after meeting the other group. Or maybe he'd just been off in his own little world for longer than he thought. Either way, they were mere meters away from entering the place he'd once called home.

Which to Naruto, of course, meant that they weren't too far from the greatest ramen cook in the history of the world.

As they neared the gates leading to Konoha, the two shinobi guarding them looked as though they were about to greet Kakashi, when it seemed to dawn on them exactly who it was that was standing next to him. The activated Sharingan was a helpful hint as well. It was only moments after realizing that the "lost" prodigy of the Uchiha clan was only feet away from them when they realized that, even more surprisingly, the container of the Kyuubi was there as well. Suffice to say that they were too busy trying to stammer out responses to take note of Kakashi's laid-back "Yo" as they passed through the entrance. After entering the village, Kakashi turned to his team.

"Well, the mission is over, so you two are free to go. I'll report to the Hokage. As for you," He turned to Naruto and Haku, while giving a sideways glance at Itachi. "Need to come with me. I'm sure the Hokage would like to hear all about your little vacation."

"Brother." Itachi turned as he heard Sasuke's voice. "You're going to come back home, right?"

Itachi nodded. "If Mother and Father will have me. I'll be there as soon as I'm finished with this business."

"C'mon, can we hurry this up a bit!?" Naruto was jumping from foot to foot again. "I wanna talk to the old man, and then I've gotta get some ramen and show Princess around! C'mon, Masked Pervert, lead the way!"

As Naruto reinforced Itachi's belief that he'd never learn to call his superiors by name, he gave one last nod to Sasuke and Sakura, to her surprise, before turning to follow Kakashi.

* * *

"Is there something you wanted to tell me, Orochimaru?" The Kazekage watched his "partner" with a suspicious gaze as the small group left their sight. He didn't trust the man at all, even if he did seem genuinely interested in taking control of Konoha on Suna's behalf. There was just something _wrong_ with the one-eyed man. Or at least, he assumed he only had one eye. He wasn't certain why else he wore the small eye patch, unless he just enjoyed it for some reason.

"Of course not, Lord Kazekage. I simply found them to be quite…interesting." Despite his somewhat rough appearance, the man had a strangely smooth, welcoming voice that still managed to unnerve those around him.

_The voice of a demon. Or a snake. But I wonder how long he'll wait before deciding to strike us as well._ "Very well. Just be certain to keep your end of this operation running smoothly."

The grin he received in return certainly wasn't helping his nerves. Even with the preparations they'd made for the Chunin Exam, he couldn't help but feel as though something was going to go wrong. There was plenty of time left to prepare, and neither the Hokage nor his underlings seemed to have any knowledge of their plans, but still…

_I would be far more comfortable with this if Gaara was still here._

* * *

AN: Well, there ya go. Hope to hear from y'all. Next time on Oath: With the inevitable return to Konoha, Team Seven is completed, and we get to see a few reunions. Plus, hopefully a couple of surprises that weren't obvious.


	18. Return: Welcoming Party

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Nothing really new to add here. This is one of my longer chapters, so yay! Still, it felt a little rushed, to me at least. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy, and as per usual, I love to hear anything you have to say.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"Hey old man! Long time no see!"

The Third Hokage smiled, ignoring the startled jumps from the others in the room as the doors burst open, and Naruto rushed in, just as animated as Sarutobi remembered him. He'd already noticed their presence in his crystal ball as they were entering the village, and had to admit that he was rather eager to hear what they'd been up to for so long. Folding his hands on his desk, he leaned forward and smiled at them.

"Naruto. It's been too long. And look how much you've grown." Though he had to question exactly how Naruto had simply burst in, considering there were ANBU agents stationed just outside the door.

"Really? You've gotten…Well, you're more wrinkly."

"Lord Hokage!" One of the black-clad figures rushed in, two orange-covered blonds keeping a death grip on his legs. "I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. We wanted to stop him but, well…" He lifted his arm, holding one of Naruto's shadow clones up by the back of his jacket collar.

"We really weren't sure which one to catch."

"You mean to tell me," Sarutobi gazed at the agent with a raised eyebrow. "That my elite ANBU couldn't catch a few small children?"

"I mean no offense, Lord Hokage, but have you _seen_ what's going on in that hall?"

_Come to think of it, I didn't._ He'd been so distracted with Naruto that he hadn't heard the shouts and rumblings coming from the hallway outside. It was only as he heard a cry, and saw Konohamaru's instructor Ebisu fly across the doorway with a bloody nose that he really started paying attention. He was partially amused, and partially disturbed, as he saw a large reddish-orange fox run across the entrance, a naked, female version of the blond in front of him riding on its back and cackling madly while swinging what appeared to be an ANBU cloak above her head, her breasts barely covered by a few wisps of smoke.

_What has Itachi been teaching that boy?_ He was about to speak, when the second of the agents guarding the door stumbled into the room, cloak now missing, as about seven of the smaller shadow clones managed to drag him to the floor as he tried in vain to pull one from his waist. Seconds later, Kakashi, Itachi, and the new member of their group that Sarutobi couldn't quite place stepped through the door, taking care to avoid the poor agent currently being dogpiled by half a dozen hyperactive orange shinobi.

He turned to the first agent with a sympathetic smile. "It's alright. I can spare the time to speak with them. You are dismissed." He addressed the various others in the room as well. "As are you all." He turned back to Naruto.

"Would you mind dismissing those clones and the fox, I assume you summoned the fox, so we might be able get down to business?"

"Fine, fine. Ruin all the fun, why don't ya? Sorry guys, game's over." And the clones disappeared, as the second, brown-haired agent picked himself up off the floor, and left to go retrieve his cloak. Sarutobi couldn't see through those masks, but he had the feeling both agents were somewhat embarrassed. Ebisu would be even more embarrassed than either of them when he finally came to. Then again, Sarutobi had the nagging feeling that Naruto would be able to get him with that perverted jutsu as well. The first agent grabbed Ebisu and hauled him over his shoulder as the room's occupants began to disperse, leaving the group alone.

"Well," Sarutobi smiled again, now that they had a little more privacy, and turned to Haku. "I think some introductions are in order. I am Sasuke Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. And who might you be?"

"I'm Haku…" He paused, thinking something over, then smiled. "Momochi. Haku Momochi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, what a polite young man. Now that we've been introduced," He leaned back in his chair, looking at Kakashi. "I must ask what brings you here."

"Lord Hokage," He bowed slightly. "With all respect, I would like to become a citizen of Konohagakure, as would several of my companions."

"I see. Mr. Hatake, what do you think?"

"I think they'd make a fine addition to the village, Lord Hokage."

The Hokage was silent for a short time, looking over the boy in front of him, before taking a moment to write something down on a scroll in front of him.

"Well, I think that can be arranged. But I'll need to hear the rest of this report before anything can be finalized. Naruto, you may go if you wish. This shouldn't take too long. If you're still so fond of ramen, I believe Teuchi's stand is still where it used to be."

At the mention of ramen, Naruto's ears perked up, and he glanced at Itachi and Haku, wanting to make sure they were okay with him leaving. At Itachi's nod, and Haku's relaxed wave, he gave them a grin and sped from the room, intent on spending what was left of his money on stuffing himself with food.

"Now," Sarutobi turned back to Kakashi with a more serious expression. "I believe you have a report to make."

* * *

As the Hokage learned of the events in Wave, Sasuke and Sakura were making their way towards the Uchiha Compound. Or at least, Sasuke was. He imagined that Sakura was simply walking with him in the hopes of getting a date. He was actually starting to consider it. After all, his main reason for ignoring other people and focusing almost solely on his training with Shisui had been to prove to his brother that he would become as strong as he'd promised. Now that it seemed his chance was approaching, he wasn't certain of what to do with his time.

It was only after they'd been walking for about eight minutes without a word that he started to wonder what was going on. Sakura was never this quite. She wasn't exceptionally noisy unless Ino was in the area, or Kakashi had given them one of his lame excuses for being late, but she was rarely this quiet. So he did something that he didn't often do; addressed someone else without actually needing to.

"…How's your hand?" Sakura looked up at him, startled at the unusual question. He hadn't asked anything like that until their mission to the Land of Waves. Well, and during the one or two exceptionally rough training sessions they'd had when Kakashi had first met them, but they never had that kind of training anymore.

"Sakura?" He nodded to her still bandaged hand, frowning a little at her lack of response. "Are you alright?" He was hardly ignorant of the attentions he received from most of the girls, but she was the only one he'd really gotten to know. Since they'd been assigned to the same team, he'd gotten used to her presence, and in the process he'd become more familiar with all of her little habits and signals. And if she wasn't responding to him at all, there was usually something wrong. The fact that they'd just gone on their first potentially deadly mission didn't help his ease his concern. His family was full of shinobi, so he was already aware of what could happen to shinobi, and not simply because that's what they were told in a classroom. Several of his classmates seemed to be a little more sheltered from these facts. Especially those like Sakura, who came from families without an extensive history as active shinobi.

He was able to relax a little as she blushed and looked away, twisting a lock of hair around in her finger, a definite sign that she was at least feeling mostly normal. "Y-yeah Sasuke, I'm fine. How are you?"

When he looked towards the sky, remaining silent, she felt a tinge of disappointment. There were only a few people who could actually expect a real conversation when they spoke with Sasuke, but she'd hoped his question meant he was willing to say **something**. They were getting close to the Uchiha Compound.

"I'm…" She turned towards him again, trying not to get excited. Maybe he actually **did** want to talk about something. "…Happy." His mind flashed back to the day his brother had taught him the Uchiha Clan's signature technique. "More than I've felt for a long time." He pushed the memories back, and turned to her.

"You should go home. Relax a little. Our sensei will probably want to see us soon."

"Oh, yeah. I mean, of course." She shuffled around a little. "I…I guess I'll see you later, Sasuke."

"Get some rest, Sakura." He began to walk away, and paused. "I'll see you around."

Now, how to tell his parents that his brother had returned. He could only hope they hadn't already heard. Word was bound to start getting around.

* * *

As soon as he was out of the building, Naruto began making a beeline for the old ramen stand he'd visited as a child. He ignored most of the glances and stares that came his way, though he did absent-mindedly wonder if they were directed at him because they thought he was just a brightly-colored visitor, or because they actually recognized him. And when he was about halfway to his goal, for the second time in less than an hour a familiar voice spoke in his mind.

"_**Brat. Stop here."**_

Naruto didn't question the unexpected command, and stopped as the fox seemed to contemplate something. After a moment of silence, he asked what the problem was.

"_**What's the deal? Is it that Orochi thing again?"**_

"_**It's not the Orochi. But something familiar. Can you not feel it?"**_

"_**Well, uh…"**_ He closed his eyes, sniffing and trying to concentrate on sensing something out of the ordinary. _**"…Can I have a hint? What're we looking for?"**_

The Kyuubi paused, and Naruto could imagine the mass of chakra swirling about in the small cage in his mind as it tried to get its bearings.

"_**Another one. Like us."**_

_Another one like-__**"Hold on, you're saying that there's another person with a one of the demons sealed in 'em around here? Is it the same one from back when we were in Suna?"**_ He stilled didn't like that they'd simply left the other boy, Gaara. Having someone who understood his position almost completely was a rare occurrence.

"_**No. Not Shukaku. This is different. I can't tell anything more specific from this distance."**_ The frustrated tone was something Naruto wasn't ever certain he'd get used to. Not that the fox didn't have a reason to be annoyed. Naruto knew good and well that the Kyuubi despised having significantly lessened senses while he was restricted to his vessel's mind. Even when Naruto drew on his chakra, his senses weren't what they'd once been.

Finally knowing exactly what he was trying to get a whiff of, Naruto calmed himself, and began to stretch out his senses. Using the Kyuubi's "senses" was something he'd had a hard time describing, even to Itachi. The closest he could come to describing it was trying to pick up a scent. Most people could "sense" chakra if it was powerful or sinister enough, but one of the nifty things about having a freakishly powerful fox sealed away in his head was that it allowed him to take it a step further.

Most people "smelled" the same to him. The ability wasn't nearly fine-tuned enough to pick up each and every individual's chakra. But if it was someone he spent a significant amount of time with, such as Itachi, or if there was something particularly unusual about someone's chakra, he could generally pick at least a little up with some focus. He'd only met two of his own kind before. The first was Gaara, and the second was an older man whom he'd never really gotten to know. He hadn't had the chance to test the ability with Gaara, mostly because he had no idea it existed, but he knew the odd feeling that containers such as themselves gave off. They always inherited some small, unique traits from those sealed within them that were noticeable, but it was more than that. There was always something else that was just…there. Something quiet lurking just below the surface.

But Naruto, being who he was, didn't care for such explanations. He just liked to call it his Fuzzy Sense, and usually just went on about how weird some of the people they'd met smelled to him.

It didn't take him long to pick up the scent, now that he had an idea of what he was after. He followed the trail for several minutes, stopping on occasion to reach out and grab the scent again, before he finally came to a small restaurant. He stopped one more time, ignoring the slightly suspicious glance from the blonde woman standing outside the restaurant's door. He sniffed in the air for a couple of seconds, before his gaze settled on the woman, as the Kyuubi's voice returned.

"_**Yes, yes. This is the one."**_ He paused, and Naruto figured he was using his somewhat more advanced senses. _**"Ah, the Two-Tailed Demon Cat. Among the weaker ranks of the tailed beasts, but certainly no enemy of mine."**_

Naruto tuned out anything else the Kyuubi was saying, knowing that he would probably just go on about something Naruto couldn't care less about. Just about the only stories he wanted to hear from the furball were about the Fourth Hokage, the First Hokage, and the man from the Uchiha Clan that Itachi had told him about. And the fox's lips were sealed on those matters. So he ignored whatever it was that the fox was lecturing him about and instead, simply watched the woman in front of him, head tilted in curiosity.

Yugito Nii, on the other hand, wasn't feeling too curious. Mostly, she was feeling cautious. She'd simply been standing outside the restaurant as the Raikage waited for the Hokage, intending to have a meal with his old associate now that the meeting regarding the upcoming Chunin Examination had come to an end, and eating one of the bland, tasteless military ration bars she'd gotten used to over the years. Then out of the blue, some random blond kid had walked within a few feet of her, sniffed around, and started staring at her. She tried to ignore him at first, but honestly, he was a little hard not to pay attention to. He stepped up closer to her, more than she was especially comfortable with, and leaned upwards until their noses were almost touching. He sniffed a few more times, then leaned back and put his hands behind his head, smiling up at the confused woman.

"You smell funny."

Yugito fought the urge to throttle him, annoyed at his lack of respect, and more than a little confused at his wording. She was used to being insulted and harassed by her own villagers, but she at least expected some politeness from the locals of another shinobi village. "You little pest. Don't you have any manners?"

"Hey, didn't say it was a _bad_ smell. Just kinda different. You remind me of a cat. A cat and-" He thought for a moment, then shook his head as if dismissing a thought. "Nah, I'm just losin' it. Forget about it."

…_What? He thinks I smell like a cat?_ She gave a few experimental sniffs, trying not to make it obvious that she was. Yet despite her best efforts, and the slightly enhanced senses that could sometimes come with being one of their kind, she couldn't smell anything unusual._ If there's no smell, then what's he talking about? And he "smelled" something else? Wait…No, that's impossible. He couldn't know about that demon. How would he?_ As she was lost in thought, Naruto reached over and grabbed the small bar out of her hand.

"Give that back you little brat!" _Does he honestly have no manners at all? I'm gonna skin this little pest!_

Ignoring the older woman's protests, Naruto took a bite out of the bar, and grimaced at the taste before spitting it out.

"That's gross! How can you eat that crap!?"

She crossed her arms, glancing to her left. She didn't exactly get the royalty treatment back home. Since she hadn't really gotten a choice in the matter, even as a child, she was used to the bland, flavorless food. Of course, it still bothered her. But there was no way she was going to tell the little heathen that.

"It's not that bad. You just don't have any taste."

"No, it's this crap that doesn't have any taste. You need to eat real food, lady. There's no way anyone sane could think this this…_thing-_" He said the word as if it was something sickening "is actually good."

"Hey, why don't you just-"

Before she could finish her response, an expression that seemed to be a combination of caution and annoyance came over his face. "Wait a minute. You're not one of those crazy ladies that always goes on an' on about that dieting stuff, are ya? Because that stuff just doesn't make sense."

"No, I'm not dieting. It's just a standard military ration bar, no big deal. Just give it back and let me finish my lun…" She trailed off as he turned and threw the bar away. She watched with some surprise as it sailed over the rooftops. Somehow, she really hadn't seen him as an athletic type. He looked a bit scrawny, actually.

"That's it. You need ramen, and you need it soon. 'Cause nobody should have to suffer through trying to eat that cardboard junk you had. Seriously, can you even taste things anymore?" He grabbed her shirt sleeve, and before she knew it she was being pulled along behind a small orange blur as he ranted about how awesome ramen could be.

Yet to her surprise, despite a lingering worry as to what would happen if she left the Raikage unattended in a foreign village, she allowed herself to be pulled along. She was rarely sent out of the village, and she didn't want to get used to having things that the villagers would deny her when she returned, but surely one meal wouldn't be a problem. Besides, there were plenty of people to guard the Raikage, and one didn't attain the title of "Kage" in the first place if they couldn't hold their own in a fight.

After a short run, they reached what was easily Naruto's favorite place on the planet. The Ichiraku Ramen Bar. As soon as he got within smelling distance of the bar, he'd began to drool. Yugito seemed a little less enthused.

"_This_ is your amazing, unbeatable lunch? A _ramen_ bar?"

"Hey, don't insult the ramen, lady. This place is better than anything in the world!"

_The little pest really loves ramen, doesn't he?_ "Alright, if you say so." She followed him as he walked up to the bar and sat down, noting the middle-aged man with his back turned to them.

"Yo, old man! One Hokage-sized serving, for Konoha's number one shinobi!"

"Alrighty, hold on ju-" Teuchi tensed, and twisted around so fast Naruto thought he was going to fall over. Disbelief was written across his face, when he suddenly got a big grin and practically jumped over the counter to grab the younger boy in a huge.

"Naruto Uzumaki! Where's our favorite customer been all these years! We always thought something bad happened to ya!" He dropped Naruto, calling back over his shoulder. "Ayame, c'mon out here and see who dropped in for a visit!"

A young, brown-haired woman peeked her head around the corner, seemingly busy with something until she recognized the person in front of her. Mimicking her father, she rushed over and grabbed Naruto in a bear hug that, in his opinion, was worse than anything Teuchi could do to him. Didn't mean he had a problem with the attention though.

Yugito watched the little reunion with a neutral expression, unsure of whether she should have felt happy, or jealous. On one hand, she never experienced anything like that. The closest thing she had to a friend was her crazy fellow jinchuuriki, who insisted on rapping instead of talking normally. Poor guy never seemed to realize that the quality of his rhymes was…questionable. But on the other hand, there was just something about the hyper blond boy at the bar that she couldn't bring herself to resent.

"So," She interrupted Naruto as he began to respond to Ayame and Teuchi's questioning. "The pest here says you make some decent ramen. He insists that I haven't lived until I've tried it."

"Well, c'mon and sit over here, miss. Any friend of Naruto's is a friend of ours. In fact, this one's on the house!"

"What? Hey old man, I can pay y'know!" Naruto patted the chubby frog wallet he affectionately referred to as "Froggy" or "Little Gama."

Teuchi chuckled as he began to work on the ramen. "I don't doubt it. But this is a special occasion."

Ayame nodded in agreement. "So please, it's our treat this time, Naruto."

"Oh, okay. If you say so. So whatcha want, uh…What's your name?" He looked at Yugito, strangely unaffected by the fact that he'd just dragged someone whose name he'd yet to learn into having lunch.

"…I'm Yugito."

"Well I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha's number one shinobi and future Hokage! Nice to meet ya!"

_Naruto Uzumaki. I'll remember that._ "It's nice to meet you as well. Pest."

Watching as he grinned at her half-hearted insult, and began to wolf down his ramen as Teuchi placed the first of several bowls in front of him, she couldn't help but let a small smile grace her features. They didn't talk much as they ate. Naruto occasionally mentioned one of his adventures, and spent a lot of time catching up on what had happened in Konoha with Teuchi and Ayame, as Yugito watched on in curiosity. Really, it was the first time in a long time that she'd simply sat down and spent some time with others.

So it was somewhat upsetting to realize she needed to return to the Raikage. As Naruto downed his eighth bowl, she stood.

"Mister Teuchi, Miss Ayame. It was a pleasure." She turned to Naruto, not quite sure what to say.

"This has been," She paused. "Fun. It would be nice to do this again, someday."

Naruto started to wave wildly as she started to walk away. "See ya around, Kitty Lady!"

She turned around with an amused glance.

"Pest."

He stopped waving as Yugito turned away with a mostly-restrained smile, and left to return to the Raikage. Naurto's fox grin remained for a moment, before something caught his attention. His eyes drifted downwards as he realized how very, very tight the blonde woman's clothes were, and that there was a certain sway to her hips that he couldn't seem to ignore. And so, he continued to stare until she was nearly out of side, ignoring the amused look Teuchi was sending him.

And the moment was ruined as a voice popped into his mind, tone clearly mocking.

"_**You might want to wipe up the drool there, kit."**_ The fox put a little extra emphasis on the "kit" part. Oh how he loved taunting Naruto with that name. Even as a young boy, Naruto had understood that the Kyuubi called him that to compare him to an infant, or a child. A small, weak, and frail creature that was helpless without the aid of an older, more powerful one. And an incredible insult to someone with dreams of being a great shinobi and Hokage.

Naturally, it had long since become the fox's favorite method of tormenting his host. For his part, Naruto thought that the furball had just been locked up for a little too long, and had finally snapped out of sheer boredom. Most of the time he enjoyed throwing insults back and forth with the fox, but sometimes it was just a pain to mess with.

"_**Laugh it up, furball. You're just jealous because you don't even get to see any fox ladies now that you're in my head."**_ The fox's ensuing laughter echoed through his mind for several minutes before it finally died down.

"_**Poor, misguided little human. Jealousy? Over such a sickeningly mortal desire? The very prospect of mating is revolting. I've never understood this desire mortals have to spread one's own power, knowledge, and weaknesses to other beings through these worthless bonds. It's just so…weak."**_ It almost seemed to give out a shudder, as if disturbed by the mere thought.

"_**So…Guess you never had a girlfriend, eh?"**_

The Kyuubi sighed, and its voice deadpanned. _**"Your talent for perception never ceases to astound me."**_

"_**So, think she knew about us?"**_ She hadn't shown any signs of recognition.

"_**Not likely. But we'll have to see. For now, the only concern you should have is the Orochi."**_

"_**Okay seriously, that's getting' on my nerves. What the hell is an Orochi?"**_

Naruto was pretty sure he'd heard the Kyuubi growl. _**"An enemy. You saw him, did you not?"**_

"_**Well, I was gettin' some weird vibes from that guy with the eyepatch."**_

"_**Watch for him. There's something going on."**_

"_**Should I tell the old man or Freaky-Eyes?"**_

"_**That is none of my concern. Do as you please."**_

Naruto stood up, thanking the duo that ran the bar, and began to walk away, trying to decide what he should do about this "Orochi" problem. Shaking his head, he brushed the thought aside. The guy was with the Kazekage, so it couldn't have been anything that'd happen soon. He had a little while to think about it. For now, it was time to get reacquainted with a certain village.

And he knew just the paint shop that would help him do it.

_Oh yeah! Naruto Uzumaki is back!_

* * *

AN: Well, there ya go. And there are a few things that I was a little fuzzy on, but I don't think there were any mistakes. If there were, please feel free to point them out. But you'll just have to wait and see for that, eh?


	19. Return: Transferred

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Seriously, I don't see the point in doing this after nearly twenty chapters of saying it.

AN: Well, here we go yet again. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope y'all enjoy. Also, this one's longer than usual, so if I made any errors, please point them out. I don't think I did, but then, I rarely do think that. The joys of being arrogant, I guess :)

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"I see. Well, that's quite the exciting little adventure you had. And you say you and your companions wish to become members of Konohagakure's shinobi force, Mr. Momochi?"

Haku smiled, and gave a small nod. "With your permission, Lord Hokage."

"Well, I think we can arrange for that. Of course, I could establish you as a Genin immediately, but if you wish to become a Chunin, you would have to wait for the examinations in a few weeks, as would your companions. Aside from Zabuza Momochi, of course. I imagine his reputation speaks well enough for his skill level."

"I would be happy to participate in this Chunin Exam. I'm certain Gozu and Meizu would be as well."

"Well, I suppose that's settled then." He pulled out the small scroll he'd been writing on throughout the briefing, and held it out to Haku.

"There's a young man named Iruka who should be arriving in the next few minutes. If you would, give him this and he'll show you where you need to go. You should only need my signature and some basic information, but if you have any problems, I'm certain Iruka will be willing to help. If you have nothing else in mind, I would like to speak with Mr. Hatake and Mr. Uchiha privately."

"Thank you very much, Lord Hokage." Haku bowed respectfully once more, an left the room to wait for this "Iruka" character, and Sarutobi directed his attention at the last two shinobi in front of him.

"Now comes the matter of Naruto. Hm, but what do, what to do." Sarutobi rubbed his chin thoughtfully, considering the options available. Itachi and Kakashi stood in silence for several minutes, when the Hokage finally spoke again.

"I think I would like to place Naruto on Team Seven. I have no doubt that you've raised him well, Itachi, but I would like him to have some experience working with the standard Genin teams. And, if you have no objections, I would like you to become an active Chunin as well. There will of course be a promotion to Jonin in order as soon as you've finished the necessary requirements. You were rather close to attaining the position upon your departure, if I recall."

"I understand, Lord Hokage." He hadn't really expected to be in charge of Naruto forever. He'd come to terms with the fact that he'd have to let go of him someday. At least this way, he knew that Naruto would be under the care of a Jonin, with a team to watch his back. He loved the kid to death, but he doubted there was another human on the planet that was as difficult to keep track of as Naruto…And most of the time, he wasn't even trying to hide. He just got into a lot of trouble.

"Ah, it's settled then. Now, we have things to discuss regarding the matter of your compensation." This drew a confused expression from the young Uchiha.

"Compensation, Lord Hokage?"

"Well yes, of course. You have been on an extended, S-ranked mission for the last six years, after all. It would be wrong not to give you the proper payment. And as you know, orphans such as Naruto are given monthly allowances to handle basic living costs, and he has six years worth accumulated. We can't very well just refuse to give you both what you're owed."

"That's hardly necessary, L-"

"Nonsense. Now let's see," He wrote a few things down on a small scroll. "An S-Ranked mission for six years, at Chunin level would be…Ah, yes." He pulled out a second scroll, and repeated his calculations for Naruto's payment, though Itachi had the feeling that Sarutobi already knew perfectly well how much he was going to pay them. Rolling the scrolls up, he held them out to Itachi.

"You can retrieve your payment on your own, or if you'd prefer, I could have it deposited in your old account, or delivered to you after you've settled in. Of course, we would have to know where you were staying if you were to request that. If you'd like, I could have some guest quarters arranged for you."

"I think it would be best to deposit it in an account." Even at a Chunin level, a mission that long would have a significant payout. He had no reason to keep that much around his house, and it would only hamper him if he were to lug it around. The Hokage smiled at his response. "And the guest rooms wouldn't be a bad idea." _Just in case._

"As I expected. We'll have that taken care of shortly." He wrote the address for the rooms he planned to have prepared on a small slip of paper, and handed it to Itachi.

"Well, with that out of the way, we have little left to discuss. I'll inform the village patrols to grant Mister Momochi and his allies entrance," He looked to Kakashi. "-and I'll need your full report in writing by tomorrow, but I believe we're finished here. You are dismissed. And Itachi? Welcome home."

They left the Hokage's office, and walked silently to the building's exit, neither really having much to say. Before they parted ways, Kakashi turned to him.

"If it's alright, could you tell Naruto to meet us in front of the Konoha Police Headquarters? I had a D-Rank mission set up before we went to the Land of Waves, and it should still be ready. He'll need to be there at eight o'clock sharp."

With a curt nod of acknowledgement, and a lazy wave from Kakashi, they went their separate ways, and he prepared to visit the compound he hadn't seen in just over half a decade. As he walked down the streets, he couldn't keep himself from noticing the odd stares and whispers from those who seemed to recognize him despite the changes he'd gone through since leaving. He had to wonder if this was how Naruto had always felt when he walked through the village. Like he was being judged, or measured. Of course, he thought it was annoying, while Naruto would just view all of them as potential prank targets.

At his pace, it only took him a matter of minutes to reach the gates of the compound, and fewer to reach his family's home. Ignoring the far larger number of glances and not-quite-silent murmurings from the people of his own clan, who would no doubt recognize their former prodigy, he made his way to the building and let himself in. It wasn't too late into the afternoon, so unless his mother had changed since he'd left, she would probably be preparing something for Sasuke.

Then again, Sasuke may have already gone through the whole "I don't need any help" phase that kids his age seemed intent on going through no matter what it was about. He was convinced that Naruto had entered that stage when he was born, that he was still going through it, and that he would probably be going through it until he was old and gray.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a crash, realizing that he'd already entered the dining room. His mother was staring at him with wide eyes, and as he stared back, he realized that somehow or another, Sasuke must have been distracted. He obviously hadn't gotten the opportunity to inform their parents of his return.

"Ita-" She paused, apparently not sure if she believed what she was seeing. "Itachi?"

He relaxed, lowering his head slightly. "Mother."

It didn't take her long to react. Before he was even fully aware of what had happened, she was wrapping her arms around him in an almost crushing hug. He had to admit that his mother was a lot more like Shisui than most of the people in their family, in that she didn't have the same issues with openly displaying her emotions that most of them seemed to deal with. He tried his best to return the hug, contemplating how bizarre it was that he and Sasuke probably didn't even know how to properly give a hug at all, when he heard the doors he'd entered moments before fly open.

"Mom, it's-!" Sasuke skidded to a halt as Itachi and Mikoto looked up, Mikoto rubbing her eyes. Seconds later, Shisui ran in behind Sasuke, nearly sliding across the entrance and tumbling to a stop.

"Lady Uchi-Oh…Nevermind. Hey runty, long time no see!"

Mikoto looked to Sasuke, having calmed down considerably, and took on a half-curious, half-cheerful tone.

"You already knew your brother was back?"

"Yeah…That's my fault, Lady Uchiha." Shisui rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I saw Sasuke running this way, and got a little curious. Kinda made him tell me what was going on before he could get here. Umm…Where's Lord Fugaku?"

Her expression turned disappointed. "Fugaku left to go on a diplomatic mission to the Land of Snow with one of the Hyuga Elders just yesterday." She turned to Itachi.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure he would have been happy to have you home again." She looked back to Sasuke again. "Both of you. But for now, I don't suppose you would like some lunch? Shisui, you can stay if you'd like."

Despite the obvious cheeriness in her voice, all three boys knew good and well that it would probably be in their best interests **not** to decline the offer.

"Right, right. Of course, Lady Uchiha. I'll, uh…I'll just clean that little mess up." And Shisui sped over to the dishes Mikoto had dropped upon seeing Itachi, as she went to fix something quick and easy. She'd always imagined something a little more grand if Itachi was ever able to return legally, but then, she'd always thought that if he came back, she would know a little sooner.

Despite the lack of complexity in the meal, as they were eating a few minutes later, Itachi was glad to finally have a taste of something homemade again. They'd rarely had anything like that aside from the times that they'd stayed with Tazuna's family. His own cooking barely passed as decent, he was too concerned with how much money they had to try any high-quality restaurants, Naruto wasn't any better at cooking than he was, and whenever Naruto chose a place to eat, its menu essentially consisted of ramen, ramen, and occasionally, ramen. Lifting a cup of tea to his lips, he listened as Sasuke finished the story of his first mission and Mikoto congratulated him, though they could all tell that his little brother was slightly disappointed at not getting to do very much.

Then, the topic shifted to him, and where he'd been the last several years. And while he would be willing to tell them the most he could about his travels, there were several things he had no intention of bringing up. Especially not in front of Sasuke.

"So, Itachi." His mother turned to him, still smiling after Sasuke's story. "Would it be alright if I asked you to tell us a little about what you've been doing all this time?" Sasuke and Shisui both turned towards him with curious gazes as well. "It's been six years now, since you left with…him, after all." She hid her feelings on Naruto rather well, but Itachi was usually able to tell what people were feeling, or at least realized that they weren't being completely honest.

"His name is Naruto." Suddenly he was feeling unusually defensive. Having been gone for years, it had been a long time since he'd heard someone he was close to refer to Naruto that way. "And I would appreciate it if you would show him some respect, Mother."

She glanced to the side with a slight frown. "I don't know what you mean."

"Um, Itachi? Lady Uchiha? Maybe we should change the-"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. He's not the monster that all of you seem intent on believing he is."

_What?_ Sasuke was a little confused at Itachi's claim. They had to be talking about Naruto, and he knew that his mother had seemed a bit off when she'd said "him" like that. _But why would they think he's a monster? A little annoying and a bit of an idiot, but far from a "monster."_

"You don't know what you're talking about Itachi. You have no idea who that boy is." Mikoto's frown was deepening, and her voice was gradually turning less pleasant.

Shisui, on the other hand, definitely didn't like where this was going. The adults in the village were strictly prohibited against speaking about the fox. To make it worse, he was the only one in this room besides her who knew about it. Sasuke was too young to remember the event at all. As for Itachi…Well, Shisui was several years older than him, and had barely been allowed to participate in the battle. Between his age and his position as the future leader of the clan, Itachi would have been hidden away safely in a shelter somewhere. It wouldn't do any good to let this argument continue when they'd become used to speaking about the subject while in the privacy of their own homes when children weren't around.

"Mikoto, I really don't think-"

"Stop treating him like he's the damned fox, Mikoto!" And as Mikoto and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, Shisui almost felt as though his heart had stopped.

_How? How could he know?_

"Sasuke," Mikoto spoke up, quickly recovering from her surprise. "Go to your room."

"Bu-"

"Now, Sasuke." She waited until he'd left the room, making sure he wasn't listening before continuing.

"If you know what he is, why-"

"Part of the reason I left was because I became so sick of this village treating him like this." He stood up, pushing away from the table. "The people here have been so close-minded about this entire situation that it's disgusting. You've all been so intent on having something to hate that instead of treating him like the hero he should have been, you've treated him like a plague."

They were both confused, and it was visible in their faces. Neither of them could figure out how Itachi even knew about what Naruto was, much less how he could actually defend him.

"Itachi, my son." Mikoto spoke slowly, as if trying to explain something to a child. "You obviously know something about that **boy**, but you don't know the whole story. The Fourth Lord Hok-"

"Lord Minato wanted people to care about him." He knew what he was about to say, and knew that he'd wanted to keep it a secret until the right time, but somehow he couldn't stop himself. "I'm sure he wouldn't have used his own son for the sealing process if he wanted him to be treated like scum by the people he was sacrificing himself to protect. But then, I suppose Master Jiraiya was right when he said that Lord Minato had too much faith in people."

He stood, walking towards the exit and shoving the door open. Before he left, he stopped and turned back to look into their shocked faces.

"Thank you for your hospitality. It truly was good to see you again. But I think I'm going to be staying somewhere else for a while." And with that, he left them to their thoughts, shutting the door behind him. Quickly leaving the Uchiha Compound, already calming down after the little argument, he made his way to the Ichiraku Ramen stand, hoping to find a certain blond brat. Unfortunately, to Itachi's amazement, he wasn't there, though the old man who ran the place said he'd eaten there roughly an hour earlier with some woman that neither he nor his daughter recognized.

_I need to find Naruto. He still needs to know that he's on Team Seven. Now, where would he be. Let's see, if he's not eating, and he met someone new, the first thing he'd probably __do is show them around. But he hasn't been here for years, so he could be anywhere by now. Maybe the-_

"Hey, kid. It's been a while. Guess you've been on one heck of a trip, huh?" His thoughts were cut off as a familiar voice spoke from behind him, accompanied by a scent he'd become accustomed to during his days as a Genin.

"Sensei." He spoke calmly as always, though he was genuinely happy to see the man again, and turned around to get a better look at him. "I suppose it's safe to assume that those accursed things haven't managed to kill you yet, then."

Asuma Sarutobi laughed, dropping the nearly-finished cigarette and grinding it into the ground with his left boot. He clapped Itachi on the shoulder and shook him for a second in a greeting that Itachi had become rather used to, back during their days as a team. He and Shisui had, as far as he knew, been the man's first team of Genin. They figured that Asuma did an excellent job, all things considered.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that anymore? Anyway, heard you were back in town, and decided to drop in on ya." He glanced at his former student for a moment before pointing in the direction of the park.

"If you're lookin' for that little friend of yours, I saw him heading towards the park over there about five minutes ago. I'd say that's your best bet." Itachi bowed for a second, ignoring Asuma's protests at still treating him like his sensei.

"Thank you, Sensei." And with that, he began running towards the park, ignoring the older man's chuckle at his stubborn attitude.

Asuma had been right. He found Naruto sitting on the railing of the stairs leading up to a platform overlooking the park, legs hanging out above the trees. He was wearing that satisfied "I just inhaled half of a ramen stand" grin on his face. He walked up behind the blond, and leaned against the railing, facing the opposite direction.

"So how'd it go, Freaky-Eyes?"

"Well. Haku is being classified as a Genin. We're also getting paid what we would have made if we were here during the last six years."

"Sweet! So about how much is that?"

"You'll definitely be able to gorge yourself on ramen for a long time."

"…You're acting kinda weird. Somethin' up?"

He was silent, just looking out over the scenery and taking a moment to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village before responding.

"I just had a small argument with my mother. Nothing to be concerned over. Besides, I have more news."

"Hm? What is it?"

"You're being transferred to Team Seven, with my brother."

Naruto almost fell off the railing, and flailed his arms around as he tried to get his balance back. "W-Wait, whattya mean I'm getting transferred!? Aren't you coming?"

"Unfortunately, I can't." He nudged the boy with his shoulder when the part-worried, part-sad look at hearing that he wasn't going to be on a team with his mentor of six years wouldn't leave his face.

"It isn't as though we won't be able to see one another again. We'll just be going on different missions." He took a second to think of any similar situations they'd had before, and several came to him rather easily. "Just think of it the same way you would if we separated on a job with Zabuza. You normally go with Haku and the brothers, while I usually travel with Zabuza. It's essentially the same thing. Just…longer."

He wasn't quite as cheery as before, but he seemed to brighten up at the idea that it was no different than what they'd done in several previous instances that required them to work with a larger group. Seemingly back to himself, Naruto leaned forward, and then flipped backwards over the railing to land in front of Itachi.

"Well, what are we gonna do now?" It was starting to get late, though it still wasn't the evening. Frankly, he was getting tired.

"The Hokage has arranged several guest rooms for us to stay in, until we've settled down a little. I intend to get some rest." He pulled out the address he'd received from the Hokage and held it out to Naruto.

"These are the rooms, if you want to stay there. By the way, I have a message from your new team leader. Captain Hatake," He still felt compelled to call him that. "Wants you to meet your team tomorrow morning in front of the Police Headquarters at eight o'clock sharp. Don't be late."

"Gotcha! I'll meet ya at this guest place in a couple hours."

* * *

**The next day…**

One night, another heaping serving of ramen for dinner, and an annoyed group of shinobi attempting to remove the orange and blue paint covering the Hokage Mountain later, Naruto was sitting in front of the Konohagakure Military Police Force Headquarters with Sasuke and Sakura.

At nine o'clock in the morning.

"Argh! What is that broom-headed masked pervert doing! He said eight in the morning, right!?" Naruto let out another frustrated cry, ignoring the amused looks from the few members of the Police Force standing outside of the building.

"I'm sure that Kakashi-Sensei has a lot of…important…" Sakura's voice trailed off, not even believing what she was saying herself. _Who am I kidding? That jerk is just being lazy again._

"Yo." Naruto and Sakura fell over in surprise as the Jonin suddenly appeared behind them, while Sasuke sent a glare at the older man telling him that he most definitely didn't care for his late appearance.

"Sorry for being late, but a black cat crossed my path, and I had to find another way around."

"That's bull you perverted broom-head!"

"You're full of it Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Right, just like the last eleven times, I'm sure. Ever think about walking down a different path to start with?"

"Ahem." He cleared his throat, reminding them of why they were there. "I have our next mission prepared." He held up a small file, waving it around.

"Sweet! We've got a mission already! I thought we were just gonna have a bunch of lame trainin' or something!" He was practically hugging the Jonin. "So what is it? Are we guarding a prince or something?" It wouldn't be the first time he'd rescued royalty. Okay, so he'd had some help. _Well, Itachi did most of the work, but I'm the one who blew away that Doto guy and rescued Princess Gale! I mean, Yukie. Well, either way, she was a princess, and I guarded her. Mostly._

Kakashi did that strange one-eyed smile, and handed Naruto the scroll with their new assignment. Seeing what they had to do, Naruto's jaw dropped.

* * *

"This is so wrong. Just so fuc-" Naruto's soon-to-be rant was abruptly cut off as Sakura's fist slammed into the back of his head, smearing dirt into his hair.

"Would you be quiet? And watch your mouth. There are kids just around the corner."

Naruto grumbled quietly to himself as he rubbed his head and went back to pulling weeds out of the small patch of dirt. Honestly, he was a **ninja.** Not just some kid working for an allowance or something. He was supposed to be fighting evil overlords, rescuing beautiful princesses, and gaining the adoration of millions of people. He was **not** supposed to be picking plants out of some old hag's herb garden.

"Y'know, I'm just sayin' that this is pointless. C'mon, we didn't train as ninja just for this crap, right?"

"This **is** pretty boring." Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing his forehead off on his sleeve.

"See! Ya see what I mean! Even The Rooster here agrees! And it's so freakin' hot! If we've gotta sit out here and sweat ourselves do death, we could at least do something fun!"

"You need to get used to it." Naruto turned to Sasuke in surprise, thinking that the other boy had been agreeing with him. "This is just about the only thing they let Genin do. We practically had to beg the Hokage to let us have a C-Ranked mission, and we barely got that."

"And to think, ya didn't even get to do anything. Guess I got all the fun, huh?"

Sasuke leaned back, finished with his part of the job. "Yeah. I guess so." _And I finally thought I'd get the chance to test myself against some __**real**__ opponents in the field. I barely even got to deal with those nobodies before it was over._

"I'm sure you would have been awesome, Sasuke."

"Ugh. Don't even think about gettin' all lovey-dovey with Rooster Boy there, Forehead. I'm not gonna be doin' all the work here."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and grabbed his wrist as he moved towards another plant.

"You need to be a little more careful, Naruto. You see that plant there?" She released his hand, and pointed at one of the small green bulbs that Naruto had been about to pull out. "Those are some of the herbs she's growing. I don't think she'd be happy to lose those."

"Oh." He glanced between the herb and the weeds around it for a second and grinned at her.

"Gotcha! Thanks for the tip!" He paused, his devious mind considering the possibility of ripping them out just to make a point about being sent on such useless missions, but dismissed the thought. "Nah. It'd be too much trouble. Don't even wanna think about the last time I messed up some old lady's garden."

"So, Naruto." They turned to the raven-haired boy in confusion. Even in spite of the short time that they'd been reacquainted, Naruto knew that the other boy was being exceptionally talkative today. "What was it like? Traveling with my brother, I mean." He tried to act nonchalant, but it was clear to both of them that he was eager to hear about his brother's exploits.

"It was cool. Met a lotta people, kicked some ass. Got kicked in the ass by a crazy doll." Okay, so it was technically a puppet. But when Itachi met the strange guys from that club, or gang, or whatever the heck they were, who insisted on wearing those strange cloaks that they'd given Itachi…Well, he couldn't help himself. There was no way he could just ignore the urge to give them some grief. They were all just so strange.

Looking at pink-haired girl, he stopped when he saw the puzzled expression on her face, and realized that Sasuke's expression, while less open, was roughly the same.

"What?"

"You got your ass kicked by what?" Sasuke's reply was skeptical, finding it hard to believe that anyone who had supposedly been training with his brother could be such a…well, an idiot.

"Ah, just some crazy guy that's part of some weird club. Y'know, they go around wearing those matching cloaks and rings and all that stuff Itachi wears these days. There are a lot of 'em, I think. Let's see," He began checking the ones he knew off on his fingers. "There's Gill Neck, Aloe Vera, Woody, the Pottery Queen, and Pumpkin Head. I guess there might be more, but I haven't seen any."

"Do you ever uh, y'know, use people's actual names?" Sakura reached down to pull out another weed, making sure not to grab the herbs as she listened to Naruto's little tale.

"Well, uh…" _Let's see…No, no. I had one for him too. How about? Nah, he was Scarface. I guess I called Yukie by her name…Once. It was normally just Princess Gale._ "Y'know, I don't think I do."

"Yo." Sakura jumped, Naruto jumped, Sasuke glared. A pattern that would become very familiar to the trio over time.

"Why the hell do you keep doing that!?" _Crazy masked pervert!_

"Seriously, Kakashi-Sensei!" _Urgh, I hate it when he does that!_

"We're in the middle of a "mission" Sensei. Why are you bothering us?" _He gave us this stupid excuse for a mission. The least he could do is leave us to it in peace._

"Because," Kakashi produced yet another file. "I have another mission ready as soon as you're done with this one."

"Broom-Head, I swear, this next one better be something good."

"Oh, you're going on a retrieval mission. We've been paid to find a missing target."

Naruto's eyes brightened at the suggestion. "Really!? Who is it!?"

The creepy one-eyed smile appeared again, and Kakashi passed him the file.

As soon as he saw the picture of the fat fluffy feline, Naruto had only one response.

"Aw, you must be kidding me!"

* * *

**The Land of Wind…**

"I'll be needing a replacement soon." He leaned his head to the left and placed his cheek on his hand as if bored. His right eye shifted into the Sharingan as Kabuto leaned forward to remove the eye patch, wanting to make sure the eye was still functioning properly after Orochimaru had been testing his latest "candidates." He pulled aside the eyepatch and began prodding at the flesh around the eye, a frown forming on his face. He went through the motions, testing its reflexes, field of vision, and so on and so forth before finally pulling back with a sigh. Orochimaru pulled the patch down over his eye again, and grinned at his underling with amusement.

"So, what's the verdict, Doctor?"

"You should take this more seriously, Lord Orochimaru. The eye itself is fine, but the skin tissue around it is starting to…"

"Don't be so dramatic, Kabuto. Just tell me what the problem is."

"Well, to put it simply, it's starting to decay. It's still only at an early stage, but it's worrying." It was slightly unnerving that this proclamation didn't seem to bother the Sannin in the least.

"Do you know the cause?"

"Well, as you know, these host bodies of yours stop functioning more quickly than a normal body would. I can't say for certain, but I imagine that the considerable strain that comes with using the Sharingan in a body that it isn't naturally part of is speeding up the process. At least, in that particular area." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Lord Orochimaru, I would highly suggest not using the Sharingan unless you absolutely need to. You have plenty of time left in your current body as it is, but if you keep abusing that eye, we'll be lucky if we can manage your next transfer in time."

The Snake Sannin chuckled, leaning back in the throne-like chair.

"Don't try to lecture me, Kabuto. The Sharingan has been a bit more of a strain since I transferred from dear little Motomo's body, but I'm far from limited on chakra. I don't need to start restricting myself just yet."

"But what if the Kazekage-"

"Leave the Kazekage and his little minions to me. Just concern yourself with keeping the Five in peak shape. We wouldn't want them falling apart on us, now would we?"

Kabuto smiled at the older man's amused response. He found it amazing that Orochimaru could reassure and inspire his followers without even acting as though he was trying to do so. He really was rather charismatic. As sadistic and warped a bastard as anyone could possibly hope to be, but charismatic all the same.

"Everything is moving into place, just as anticipated. The Chunin examinations are mere weeks away, the Kazekage has played right into our hands, I'll soon have yet another Uchiha body more suited for wielding the Sharingan, and my sentimental fool of a sensei hasn't a clue."

Still, even as Orochimaru's chuckle echoed through the room, Kabuto couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him something was wrong.

* * *

AN: Well, that's it for now. I hope I did okay on the reunions…Those really aren't my top subject. I always feel like they're a bit awkward, though with some like Itachi/Sasuke, that's intentional. Love to hear what you have to say, and I should be updating the forum with a little more extra information for anyone interested in that type of thing.


	20. Return: Retrospective

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, this was a surprisingly quick update as compared to usual. On a side note, I know I say this a lot, but most of my other stories should be getting an update really quick as well. I hope the time between updates hasn't put anyone who might be reading them off. But hey, that's life, right? For the record, I'll be using the spelling "Hyuga" instead of "Hyuuga." No idea why, or how that's relevant, but I figured I should mention it. On another note (Yes, I know, you'd like to get to the story. But stick with me for just a second), for anyone interested in my forums, I'm going to be making a new topic specifically for all that little extra (But non-vital) information about the story. That way I can keep the main topic for this story clear for important announcements/updates, instead of flooding it with the "fun extras" (Though I might be the only one who thinks they're fun).

Anyway, boring stuff aside, let's get to the story!

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

**Six Hours Ago…**

"Hey there. Man, you can be hard to find when you don't wanna be found." Itachi was silent, and Shisui stepped a little closer.

"You, uh, kinda flipped back there, didn't you?"

"Hn."

He smiled, glad that the younger boy was at least acknowledging him.

"I'll take that as a yes. You okay?"

_Okay? I'm…uncertain. I've only been back for a day, but I guess…I guess I just became used to people treating him normally. Hearing my own mother refer to him as if he was a monster…I suppose it just brought up some bad memories. If we're going to be staying here, I should probably get used to hearing people badmouth him on occasion._ He sighed to himself, still not looking at Shisui.

"I'm fine. What I said earlier was true. I don't regret standing up for him."

There was obviously more to it than that. "But?"

"But I shouldn't have told either of you so much."

"So you were serious? I mean, when you said that he was…Y'know?"

"He was the Fourth Hokage's son."

"But how could you know something like that? I didn't even know he had a woman in his life at all. I don't think anyone did."

"…The night of the Kyuubi's attack, I was looking for him. I wanted to join all of you in the battle."

"You're kidding! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"Do you want me to finish?" Shisui looked as though he wanted to scold him some more, but relented for the sake of hearing the story. "Thank you. I'd searched everywhere that I could think of besides the hospital. While I was wandering around, I overheard the Fourth, Third, and Master Jiraiya speaking. To make the story short, they were talking about what he wanted for Naruto once the sealing was finished."

"I'm going to take a guess and say that it wasn't what he got." Shisui looked almost ashamed. He'd never gone out of his way to be cruel to Naruto, but he'd never exactly bothered to be kind to the boy either. Itachi looked out towards the horizon, the sun just barely visible as dawn began to break, considering his next statement.

"That day, I made a promise to myself. And to them, even though they couldn't hear it. I swore that I would protect Naruto at all costs."

"And that's why you left. People were getting rougher with him as he got older, so you took him away." It made a lot more sense. He'd always assumed that Itachi had a reason, but he'd never quite figured it out.

"Partially. I couldn't watch him as well as I rose in the ranks. There were too many missions. But…" He leaned forward, closing his eyes. "It was more than that. I've killed people to protect him, during our travels. I would have beaten anyone in Konoha into submission if they'd attempted to seriously harm him. But I can't protect him from words. They called him a freak, a monster. They tried to make sure none of their children spent time with him, and deprived him of a chance at having friends." He opened his eyes again, feeling more tired than he'd felt in some time.

"He doesn't show it, but I'm certain that kind of complete rejection hurt more than anything else they could have done to him."

It wasn't exactly hard to figure out where this was going. "And he's only treated that way because everyone old enough to remember the attack knows about what happened to him. So you took him into a world that might be a little more accepting."

Itachi turned back towards his friend, looking him straight in the eyes. "Shisui, you can't tell anyone about this. If one of the Fourth's enemies were to discover who he was…I can't be certain that I could protect him. If we were still travelling alone, maybe. But I can't watch him constantly now."

"Hey, you know me better than that. The secret's safe with me. And I think your mother will understand. I mean, right before I left we agreed not to say anything until all three of us had talked it out."

"Shisui…Thank you." The older man hopped forward, slinging an arm around Itachi's shoulders with a grin.

"C'mon, what are best friends for? Now, I know just how to cheer you up. You," He pulled a small box from his back pocket, and removed one of the small treats. "-need some pocky."

_Please tell me he's not still harassing me with that._ Even as the thought of Shisui annoying him with his love for sweets, a fact he'd kept secret from the majority of the world for years, crossed his mind, the man was poking him on the cheek with the candy-like treat, trying to get him to take a bite.

"Shisui, aren't you acting a bit chil-"

Suddenly Shisui cut him off, using that annoying "baby speak" that he always used with children and animals.

"Aww, who's a gwumpy wittle Uchiha? Hewe comes the twain!" He held the treat several inches from Itachi's face, and began making "choo choo" noises, an annoying grin spread across his face.

Itachi turned to look into the older boy's eyes and gave him an amused smile. Seconds later, Shisui fell forward with a shocked yell as the younger boy burst into crows. Shaking it off, Shisui came back to reality as he was released from the genjutsu, with Itachi nowhere in sight. And as he reached into his pocket, realizing that a certain box was missing, Shisui released an angry cry, and began what he knew would be a futile search for a very pleased Sharingan master who was currently enjoying his well-earned snack.

* * *

**Present…**

Hiashi dismissed the young clan member who had interrupted Hanabi's training session to inform him that they'd confirmed that the missing Uchiha and the Jinchuuriki had returned.

_So, it seems their missing prodigy has returned at last. And he has the child in tow, as expected._ He held little love for the young blond boy who had left with the Uchiha prodigy. Yet despite what most of the villagers seemed to believe, likely because they felt that way themselves, it had nothing to do with the Kyuubi no Yoko. It was more due to the fact that he was a nearly-intolerable prankster who had once, by means that even Hiashi wasn't certain of, managed to dye the fHyuga Elders' hair bright pink.

No, it had little to do with the fox demon. He was a Hyuga. He knew a thing or two about seals. In fact, when they'd been temporarily placed on the same team when their teammates had been injured on a mission, he'd once tutored a curious Minato Namikaze on the subject of seals. But they'd been far younger, and Minato had yet to surpass him at that point.

It was this knowledge of seals that removed any blame he could have placed on the boy. The legendary shinobi Jiraiya had left not long after the Fourth Hokage's death, and while he trusted the Third's judgment, he knew all too well that even the greatest of shinobi could make mistakes. So he'd taken it upon himself to inspect the seals placed on the infant. Or perhaps it was because he was curious about precisely what Minato had done. Regardless of the reason, after some research, he was confident that the seals would be more than enough to seal away the consciousness of the demon, at least until the boy was significantly older.

Still, while he shouldn't have been able to make contact with the demon or lose control of himself, Hiashi had to say that he was at least influenced by its tendencies. Foxes were legendary for their status as tricksters, and the "demon boy" was easily among the greatest the village had probably ever seen. He'd been everything that the Hyuga weren't. He was rude, obnoxious, and had no respect for anyone around him. He was an uncouth, distasteful brat.

And yet Hiashi couldn't help but regret that neither his eldest daughter nor his nephew came to know the boy. He didn't want them picking up his habits, not by any means, but the young Uzumaki had that certain something that he'd also seen in the Fourth Hokage. He was louder, and less respectful, but it was still there. Perhaps things with his family might have been different if they had never left. Neither of them had become quite what he'd hoped. He supposed, in retrospect, that it may have been his fault.

Neji was powerful, possibly powerful enough to surpass any of the main branch members to appear in decades. He was truly brilliant. Unfortunately, his physical and intellectual brilliance were hampered by a superiority complex, and an obsession with the belief that destiny would lead him on the only possible path he could take in life. If Naruto was anything like Minato had once been, having him as a teammate would be just as humbling for Neji as it had been for him.

But there was a nagging feeling that his nephew's plight was partially his responsibility. It was obvious to all who knew the talef that Neji was what he was because of his father's fate. He undoubtedly believed that the clan had chosen to sacrifice his father, and Hiashi had never been able to find the proper moment to tell him the truth. Or to be more accurate, he'd avoided taking the chance because of the lingering guilt over his brother's death. At the time, he'd been certain that there was something he could have done, and the thought still resided in the back of his mind. If he'd just protected Hinata more effectively, or if he'd reigned in his anger and allowed the kidnapper to live and be tried, maybe Hizashi wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself.

As for Hinata? He loved his daughter. He truly did. But that wasn't something that their people knew how to express. Their entire lives were based on strict control of their bodies and mastery of their emotions. His great grandfather had been that way, his grandfather had been that way, his father had been that way, and to his sorrow, he had turned out just as they had. His daughter had been the opposite. She was weaker than he'd expected of one of his children, lacked the strict control and drive that he'd had, and was too meek for her own good.

He'd said…things, that he wished he hadn't. In frustration, he'd even told her instructor that his daughter was weak, and that it was irrelevant if she lived or died. Looking back, his anger was more in regards to his own ability as a teacher than at her failure to keep up with his teachings. She'd just been so different than any other members of his clan, and his inability to figure out how to train her had made him feel inadequate, somehow. What use was he as a Hyuga if he couldn't even train his daughter properly? She'd taken a liking to the fox's container when they were children, and Hiashi was certain that had they been placed on the same team, his abundance of confidence and his straightforward personality could have given her more confidence.

But that was all irrelevant now. What was in the past was in the past. He stopped Hanabi as she went through the standard motions and dismissed her. Ignoring her confused expression at being released before her morning routines were completed, he asked that she go pick up a package he'd ordered several weeks before that had just come in the previous evening, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. He quickly gave her the money she would need and wrote down a few directions, as she rarely left the compound. As he watched his youngest daughter leave, he continued contemplating the possibilities that the duo's return presented.

He doubted they would allow Naruto on any of the current three-man cells, which left only the two-man team under Hatake's care. He also doubted that they would be permitted to split the team apart, at least until after the upcoming examinations. But afterwards, it wasn't unheard of for certain members of a squad to be moved around temporarily, depending on the mission requirements. His influence hardly affected the Hokage, but he was sure that if he made a request, they could find a mission that had requirements suiting the skills of both Naruto and either Hinata or Neji.

* * *

"Y'know, screw the ANBU. Just hire the damn cat and be done with it. Anybody who can fight through that thing deserves a shot at the Hokage." Naruto leaned his head back, holding a small white rag to his now-bloodied nose as Sakura finished wrapping a bandage around the bite marks on her arm, and Sasuke adamantly refused to allow them to get near the scratches covering his face.

They'd just returned from the D-Ranked mission to retrieve a surprisingly elusive cat. They hadn't expected the fat little feline to actually be so…resourceful. Or strong. Or fast. It had taken them the better part of two hours to catch it, and Naruto was convinced that the Kyuubi was completely justified in his hatred of the species. Especially considering it was nearing lunch, and it had nearly escaped them when they'd been carrying it back to the Hokage's office, obviously prepared to lead them on another wild chase through the village.

Not to mention the fact that since she crashed almost as soon as they returned to Konoha, Sakura hadn't had the chance to taunt a certain blonde woman about going on a mission with Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced over at him, grunting in agreement as Sakura let out a sigh, head hung in shame. It was pathetic. One of them was arguably the smartest in their entire class, one was a member of a revered clan known for its immense skill and speed, and the other had spent six years training with someone who was nearly a Jonin at the age of eleven. And they'd been outsmarted, outrun, and nearly overpowered by an angry ball of fur not even half of Naruto's size. Then again, according to Kakashi, nearly every Genin team out there had taken this mission at least once, and the results were almost always the same. They spent an ungodly amount of time capturing it, and it escaped again just in time for another team to take the job.

Still, the trio was thoroughly humbled, and all of them were ready for a break.

"So Sasuke, would you, uh, like to go lunch with me? To get to know each other better, I mean?"

"Oh please, Forehead. Don't even try to act like you're not askin' the Rooster for a date."

"Shut up!" She pushed his shoulder playfully, and tried to cover her blush.

"I don't think so. I've got training to do." And, of course, he had a very heavily injured ego to nurse. He took a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead, pushing aside the urge to wince as his hand raked across the multitude of scratches in the area. _Stupid freaking cat._

"Oh, a-alright. I mean, that's cool. Maybe some other time, right?" _Argh! Go on a date with me already! Please!_

Naruto, on the other hand, looked as though he'd just gotten yet another "brilliant" idea. With a grin that promised trouble, he turned to Sasuke.

"You're looking a little warm there, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"So…I was thinking, Rooster might get a bit old."

"So you're going to give it a rest?" The raven-haired boy turned to him in curiosity, while the pink-haired girl mirrored the action, albeit with aggravation at the thought that he might actually be dropping Sasuke's nickname but not hers.

"Maaaaybe. But since you're so hot out here, I was thinking about a new one. How does "Hot Sauce" sound to ya?"

Sakura giggled, while Sasuke fixed a glare on the blond boy and let out a grunt that his classmates had come to recognize as a warning sign.

"No?" Naruto was quiet for a few moments as he thought, then the grin returned. "How about Mild Sauce? Spicy Sauce? Sweet Sauce? There are a lot of 'em to choose from, y'know."

"Naruto…" Sasuke's voice was level, but with a hint of growing frustration.

"Oooh, how about Tangy Sauce!"

"I'm giving you one last warning, loser."

"Okay, okay." They walked in silence for a few more seconds, but being who he was, Naruto just couldn't help himself.

"…Sour Sauce?"

Naruto let out a yelp as Sasuke jumped past Sakura and tackled him to the ground. Sakura stared on in a combination of surprise and concern for a moment as the two wrestled, before her surprise nearly burst into full-scale shock at the unfamiliar sound of Sasuke's quiet, borderline-laughter as he grabbed the younger, and clearly amused blond in a chokehold.

_He just looks so normal._ She couldn't say that she didn't like it. She loved the whole "strong, silent, mysterious type" thing that Sasuke had going on, but seeing him act like a normal teenager was…Well, it was nice. Not to mention the fact that Sasuke and Naruto, one of which she thought was the hottest in Konoha and the other whom she had to admit wasn't that bad on the eyes, were rolling around all sweaty and intent on pinning the other to the ground didn't exactly make her inner fangirl want to run away screaming in terror.

Still, inner fangirl aside, they were attracting a lot of attention.

"Um, guys?" Sasuke gave Naruto's neck one last squeeze before releasing him from the chokehold as the blond paused his attempt to pull Sasuke's leg into a position that would allow him to bite it. "This probably isn't the place."

Sasuke stood and dusted himself off with a frown, while Naruto gave her a sheepish grin. Sasuke mentioned something about seeing them later, while Sakura gave him a wave and headed off to get something to eat. Plus, she needed to find Ino and rub in the fact that she'd completed a C-Rank mission with Sasuke. Of course, she might fail to mention the fact that they hadn't really **done** anything, but what do little details really matter?

Already planning which kinds of ramen he would be ordering for his own lunch, Naruto was nearly to Ichiraku's when something caught his attention.

* * *

Hanabi Hyuga was lost. Not that she would ever admit this, of course. Her father's directions might have helped someone a little more familiar with the village, but she rarely ever left the Hyuga Compound, and it was generally only to accompany her father outside of the village, which didn't exactly give her time to get to know her home. So there she stood, trying to look inconspicuous, and hoping that she could find this Shushuya place without asking for help.

The odds of that happening appeared to be steadily decreasing.

Naturally, the wandering Hyuga caught the attention of one Naruto Uzumaki. He knew of the Hyuga. Of course he knew of them, considering he'd pranked them several times. Then there was that strange girl that would watch him from a distance sometimes when they were younger. He'd never really understood that, but it didn't really bother him. So when he saw the young Hyuga girl, who actually reminded him a bit of the one who used to watch him, standing around looking slightly confused as she looked over a small slip of paper, he felt compelled to investigate. She could need help or something, after all.

That, and he was nosey.

"Hey." He grinned as she jumped, unaware that he'd come up behind her. "Whatchya doing?"

Hanabi looked over him, and decided that it probably wouldn't hurt to respond. He didn't look particularly dangerous, despite the fact that he'd surprised her, and even if he was, she doubted anyone would be stupid enough to attack a Hyuga in the middle of Konoha during broad daylight. Clearing her throat, she took a moment to compose herself as to avoid stuttering. That was something her sister did, and she had no intention of acting so meek.

"I was looking for a shop called the Shushuya."

_Shushuya? I think I saw that place just the other day._ "Yeah, I've seen the place. It's over on the other side of the village."

_Oh no…_ "R-Really?" She inwardly cursed at the near-stutter, frustrated that she'd been surprised enough to let it slip.

At her crestfallen look, Naruto decided to give her a hand. "Hey, don't worry about it, little girl. I'll show you where it is. Just follow me"

Hanabi bristled at being called "little girl" by someone who wasn't exactly tall himself, but held back the urge to glare at him. He'd offered to show her where to go, and had done so without her actually having to ask for help. She would at least be polite, she thought as she began to follow the excited boy.

"Hey little girl, had anything to eat yet?"

She was usually still training at this time of day. "Not yet, Mister…" When he didn't take the hint, she held back a sigh. "Excuse me, but I don't believe I've introduced myself. I'm Hanabi Hyuga, of the Hyuga Clan."

"Yeah, I've heard about them. They're supposed to be pretty tough, right?"

She felt another flash of anger at his lack of respect towards her clan, but she was also confused. He seemed to know where he was going, but if he was that familiar with the village, how could he not know much about one of its prized clans?

"The Hyuga Clan is the strongest in the village. May I ask your name, sir?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the world's number one most surprising ninja and future Hokage!"

Somehow, she found it hard to believe that he was a shinobi at all, much less one capable of achieving the title of Hokage. But her father had always told her that appearances could be deceiving. _Maybe this unintelligent personality is just a face he puts on in public?_

"So hey, wanna get some ramen? It'll be my treat." Yet as he turned around to grin at her, she got the distinct impression that he really was as odd as he acted.

"I really should hurry. I don't want to keep my father waiting…"

"Ah, don't worry about it. Not like it'll take that long to grab somethin' to eat."

She blushed as her stomach grumbled, and she nodded in agreement. _Well, I'm sure Father would understand._ "Very well, Mr. Uzumaki. I suppose a short meal would be alright."

To Naruto's almost unfathomable disappointment, the stand was closed, with a small note posted. He was even more displeased when he actually read said note, and learned that Teuchi had accidentally broken his ankle the previous afternoon, and Ayame would likely be taking care of him for the next few days, meaning that his favorite source of ramen would be closed off for a few days.

_Man, and I just got back! Oh well…_"Hey little girl, looks like we'll have to wait on that lunch. Guess I should show you the Shushuya, huh?" Despite this, he still stopped to get some snacks so they'd at least be comfortable before continuing on to the store. When they arrived, a strict-looking man in his mid-thirties was standing behind the counter. When he noticed their presence, he turned to them with a frown that looked as though it was constantly etched on his face.

"Lady Hanabi. I assume you're here to retrieve your father's order."

_Man, this guy needs to loosen up a bit. Looks like he's got a clogged pipe. Maybe some of my special laxatives could help…_

Completely unaware of what was going on in Naruto's mind, Hanabi nodded and reached into her pocket, only to realize that the money her father gave her was gone.

_Where is it!?_ "My money…my money's gone? But how!? I don't believe this? Did I drop it somewhere, or…"

Noticing the young girl's plight, Naruto left his plotting for another day and pulled his "Little Gama" wallet. He'd been hoping to save the rest until Itachi would let him have a little more, the man had adamantly refused to let him carry too much on his own in fear that they'd end up broke, but he'd probably have enough to still buy **some** lunch if he paid for her. And Itachi had always said that it wouldn't hurt to spare a little when you had the money to spare.

"Ah, what the heck. I'll cover it for ya. How much?"

"What? I can't let you do that, Mr. Uzumaki!" It was bad enough that she'd lost the money in the first place, but for someone who was mostly a stranger to have to bail her out?

"It's fine, really! 'Sides, I was gonna buy you lunch anyway, so I owe ya."

"But-"

"I've got it covered, relax."

Naruto paid for the package, and as they walked out of the store. Hanabi held the small box to her chest, while Naruto silently mourned the empty space in Little-Gama, and as they reached a point where they would have to separate after about fifteen minutes, Hanabi paused and turned to him.

"Um…"

"Hm?" He glanced at her curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I just…I mean, thank you. Thank you so much." It would have been **very** humiliating for someone of her status to admit to needing help from someone who most of those in her clan would undoubtedly see as inferior.

Naruto let out a short, cheery laugh before responding. "It's no problem, really! You've just gotta promise to get lunch with me sometime."

She shuffled around, something that she'd always thought of as unusual when she saw Hinata doing it, and gave him a small smile. Thanking him, she made her way home, and Naruto prepared to finally get his lunch while contemplating whether or not it'd be a good idea to help a certain store owner "loosen up" a little.

* * *

Hiashi looked up from his thoughts as the door to his office opened, and Hanabi stepped in. The girl walked forward and placed the box on Hiashi's desk. She then moved back several steps and bowed respectfully. Deciding to go further than simply dismissing her as he normally would, he surprised his youngest for the second time that day, and asked how her experience in the village had gone.

…And was promptly floored when she said that she'd met a nice young boy who had helped her find the Shushuya, and offered to treat her to lunch.

No, that had most definitely not been what he'd expected.

* * *

AN: So Sasuke was a bit more OOC than usual, but what can I say? I wanted to have the little team bonding moment before the chapter was up. And I also "borrowed" the Hanabi Date from Ultimate Ninja 3, albeit with some changes :) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed.


	21. Before the Storm: Small Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, I'm back. Been a little while, eh? Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, as per usual. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try to get the next one out sooner…Though with the last few weeks of this semester approaching, I wouldn't count on too much. I've already got a load of work to get finished :(

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

As his eyes began to drift open, Haku laid there in silence for a moment before stretching out his arms and pulling himself into a sitting position. He had to admit, the guest quarters he'd been provided were pretty comfortable. Then again, considering the fact that Zabuza had usually just camped out wherever they happened to be at the time, just about any actual bed would probably be more comfortable than what their team had been used to.

The paperwork he had to take care of the previous day had been much more time consuming and annoying than he'd anticipated. The man who'd shown him where he needed to go, Iruka, said that most people seemed to feel that way. But procedure was procedure, so he'd sat down and spent several hours filling out information for himself, Zabuza, Gozu, and Meizu. By the time it was over, he hadn't had enough time to meet up with Naruto or Itachi, and he'd just wanted to get some rest anyway.

But then, he doubted Naruto would have too much time to spend anyway. Aside from the fact that he'd likely been assigned to a team of his own, Haku knew he was a prankster like no other. And as soon as they'd decided to return to his hometown, Haku had practically been able to see the gears turning in his devious little mind. There was no doubt in his mind that the blond was working out some kind of crazy stunt in his devious little mind.

Brushing the thoughts aside, he took a quick shower and donned his more "civilian" clothes, which Naruto insisted made him look like a girl. They did make him look more girly, of course, but half the fun in looking so feminine was the chance to see the looks on people's faces when they realized he was in fact **not** the "little hottie" that they'd been ogling, or in the case of most women, that "pretty young girl." Either way, that was just about the only thing he had with him, so it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter.

Upon leaving the building, he found himself surprised by how late it was. He wasn't usually one to sleep in. After all, it wasn't exactly easy to sleep late when one was almost constantly on the run from highly skilled shinobi. It had only been minutes after leaving the building that he'd run into a familiar face. Or at least, a face that was more familiar than most in the village. The man glanced over at him, and closed his book, slipping it into the pouch at his side as he made his way over.

"Yo."

"Oh, hello Mister…Hatake, was it?"

"Just call me Kakashi."

"Very well, Kakashi."

"So, out to see the town?"

"I would have asked Naruto to show me around, but…"

"You thought that he'd probably be on one of our teams, and of course that would mean that he was probably on a mission."

"Precisely."

"Well, you would be right. He's just doing your standard D-Rank work, but it's still necessary. And we'll need to begin training soon."

"He's on your team then? I wish you luck. Naruto can be quite the handful."

"Why don't I show you around town? Maybe grab some lunch? I'd like to hear more about my new student."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I would appreciate that."

* * *

As Kakashi was showing the newcomer around the village, and as Naruto was dragging Hanabi to the Shushuya, Itachi Uchiha had decided that after avoiding Shisui the entire morning and into the afternoon, it was time to have a discussion with his mother. There were a few issues that needed to be cleared up, after all. Thus, he was lead to his home, where he found his mother sitting at the table in the main dining area.

Noticing him immediately, she stood to face him.

"Mother. We need to talk."

"I think you're right."

"…I apologize for my behavior before."

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't exactly being courteous."

"It's just…He really is a good kid. He isn't the Kyuubi. And believe me, I know. I've spoken with it before, and they're most definitely not one in the same."

"You've what?"

"I've spoken to the Kyuubi. Several times, actually. Though I wouldn't go as far as to say that we've actually had a conversation. It really does despise our clan."

"But why would you talk to it? **How** would you talk to it?"

"It was when I first left with Naruto. I was concerned. I wanted to know if it had any influence on him, or if it was even aware of what had happened to it. So I took a glance into his mind. I didn't intend for Naruto to be there with me, but somehow or another he appeared."

"And then you found it."

"It took long enough. Going through his mind is like going through a giant series of tunnels. But yes, we did find the Kyuubi." He shuffled almost nervously, which was something she'd honestly never seen her eldest son do before. "…To be honest, I was terrified."

"And the de-I mean, Naruto?"

"He essentially called the Kyuubi a furball, and told it to shut up and do what he said."

"And it just **let** him?"

"I think it was more amused than anything. I doubt it was used to seeing that kind of blatant disrespect. But make no mistake, it can be vicious when it's not in a good mood, even to Naruto."

"So…You said he was the Fourth's son?"

"Yes. To make it short, I went looking for the Hokage when the Kyuubi was attacking. I saw him in the hospital, and overheard him talking to Master Jiraiya and Lord Sarutobi. He had a son, he planned to seal the fox in him, and he expected the village to view Naruto as a hero. As you know, that's not exactly how it worked out."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize to me." Mikoto crossed her arms and turned her head away from him, looking uncertain.

He stepped towards the door, and paused as he was about to walk through.

"Just give him a chance, Mother."

He made his way out of the house, and glanced around the streets of the district of Konoha set aside for his clan. He had to admit, he wanted to see how much Sasuke had improved, and that little display in the Land of Waves hadn't allowed for much. He walked around until he'd found another member of his clan, a member of the Konoha Police Force named Tekka, and caught his attention.

"Well, this is a surprise. I haven't seen you in years, Itachi. You've certainly grown up."

"Tekka." He gave a slight nod. "Have you seen Sasuke?"

"Sasuke? Not today, but he's usually training around this time. Training Ground Three, most of the time."

"Thank you."

"Sure, any time."

When he arrived at the training field, one of several set aside for their clan, he found Tekka had been right. Sasuke hadn't started going through the moves, but from the way he was checking over his training weapons, it seemed he was just about ready to start.

_Perfect._ "Sasuke." He turned around at the sound of his brother's voice, face curious. "It's been years since I saw you train. What would you say to a sparring match?"

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment, only for the surprised expression to be replaced with a grin.

"Any terms?"

"No. But I want to see how much you've grown. You should come at me-"

"With the intent to kill. You remind me of Kakashi."

"Hn." _I suppose. I've heard that he can be quite the taskmaster. I don't doubt that he'd want them to be as serious as possible._ He opened his arms, gesturing for Sasuke to attack. "Come. Show me what you've learned."

Sasuke rushed at him, throwing out a series of quick punches that Itachi easily knocked aside. Even if he was free from the bias of being his older brother, Itachi would have no trouble recognizing that Sasuke was simply testing him. His technique was so sloppy that he was practically begging for a counterattack, and he was doing it on purpose. Perhaps it would have been convincing to a stranger, but even after spending years apart, he liked to think that he knew his little brother well enough to recognize his bluffs. As Sasuke's leg arced towards his head, Itachi grabbed it and threw him across the training field.

"I thought you were going to come at me with the intent to kill?"

"It's been six years. I can't have a little fun first?" He scoffed, and stretched out his arms before slipping a kunai from a holster on his belt. "Fine. Then let's do this!"

As Sasuke charged forward, this time so quickly that he appeared to be a blur, Itachi flipped through the seals and sent the trademark Uchiha fireball into the ground at point blank. He dodged to the left as Sasuke shot through the fire without hesitation and jabbed forward with the kunai, matching his elder brother's excited grin.

* * *

The duo sat at a table in the small restaurant, both ignoring the glances of the other occupants as Haku ordered. Haku had the feeling that most of the looks were directed towards Kakashi. After all, he was apparently a known pervert, and now he was sitting across someone whom most mistook as an underage girl. But the older man didn't seem to mind, so Haku ignored it and focused on answering Kakashi's questions.

"So what can you tell me about Naruto? What's he like?"

"Naruto is…excitable. If you intend to test him, don't expect to be very impressed if it involves stealth. He's very straightforward, if nothing else."

"I see. So he's the type to charge in headfirst and wing it from there, eh?"

"I'd say that's a good description, yes."

"And how has it worked out so far?"

"Surprisingly well."

"Is that so?" _We'll have to see how well it holds up in the bell test._

"Hey, a little young for ya, isn't she Kakashi?" They looked up to see the ever-smoking Sarutobi walking towards their table. He stopped near one of the chairs, placing his hand on it and glancing at Kakashi.

"Mind if I join ya?"

Kakashi nodded, never looking up from the book. "By all means."

Asuma pulled out the chair and sat down, offering his hand to Haku as he leaned back.

"Name's Asuma. Nice to meet you, Miss…?" Haku reached out and grasped his hand lightly, smiling.

"Haku. Haku Momochi." He saw Asuma's eyes widen by a barely noticeable fraction at the name "Momochi," and assumed that the man must've been a Jonin. Most people under that rank didn't get a good look at the Bingo Books, and even fewer would recognize the Demon of the Mist by his actual name.

"Nice to meet you, Haku." He gave the waitress a wave as she began to move forward, and she smiled before walking back towards the kitchen. Haku assumed that he frequented the place often enough for the staff to know what he wanted. Or he was a flirt. Either way. "So how do you know Kakashi here?"

"We met on his last mission. The one in the Land of Waves."

"Oh." He seemed to think it over. "You must be one of little Itachi's friends then."

"You know Itachi?"

"Know 'em? Little runt was a student of mine back in the day."

"You trained him?"

"Well, I trained him to work with a team. Putting him and his cousin Shisui in my squad was mostly about testing my teaching skills and their teamwork. All three of us were skilled on our own, but I'd never been a teacher, and neither of them had ever worked on a team."

"Itachi never really talked much about this place."

"That's not surprising." He reached over to grab an ashtray from a nearby table as their orders arrived, and gave Haku a grin. "Kid was always quiet."

"Did Naruto ever talk about Konoha?" It would be nice to know whether or not he was holding a grudge against the villagers who harassed him.

Haku smiled fondly and let out a small laugh. "Itachi wouldn't talk about it, but Naruto couldn't stop. He was always talking about how amazing his home was. He loved talking about the view from your Hokage Mountain monument."

"That's…surprising."

"Hm?" He tilted his head in curiosity.

"He was never really very well-liked by the people of the village. There were some who treated him nicely, but most ignored him, and a few were even violent."

"What? Why?" _He never mentioned anything like that._

Asuma poked at his food for a moment, looking annoyed. "We're not supposed to talk about it." _A stupid-ass rule if you ask me. It hasn't done him much good so far._

"It's true." Kakashi chimed in, though Haku could tell that he too wasn't pleased with the subject. "He has a certain…condition. But trust me when I say that it's nothing he could control."

_Nothing he could have…_"Is it some kind of bloodline limit?"

"Not quite. People don't generally have a problem with bloodline limits here."

"I see." _That's good for me, but what is it that they hate about him?_

Asuma let out a sigh. "It's too bad. He seems like a good kid. Hyper, but still-"

"Sensei!" They turned as a young blonde girl rushed into the restaurant, taking care not to ruin the small bouquet in her hands. "You were supposed to come pick these up half an hour ago!"

"Ino, what-Oh man, how could I forget!"

"Kurenai awaits, eh Asuma?"

"Shut it Kakashi." He turned to Haku. "Nice to meet ya, kid."

With bouquet in hand, and a quick thanks to Ino, the son of the Third Hokage made a mad dash for Kurenai's house, where he had little doubt that his very annoyed date was waiting for him.

"Well he's an interesting man."

"Indeed."

Ino shook her head, grinning. _He's such a lazy bum. Like a bigger, smellier Shikamaru._

* * *

Sasuke slid backwards, stumbling from the force of the blow to his chest. Itachi paused, and Sasuke took a moment to catch his breath as he contemplated his brother. It seemed that as much as he'd improved, Itachi had maintained a large enough gap between them to remain the superior of the two.

What made it worse was that Itachi had yet to even use any kind of ninjutsu or genjutsu, aside from that initial fireball technique. Despite his best efforts, Sasuke hadn't been able to push him beyond using sheer taijutsu. Of course, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. He'd never been able to push Shisui or Kakashi into doing so either, unless they simply felt like it. Even as good as he was, the odds of a Genin being able to take a Jonin in a fight or even just a sparring match were slim to none.

A small grin came over Sasuke's face as he saw his brother motioning for him to come closer, as he always used to when they were younger and he was going to say he didn't have the time to do something with him. And before he always did that annoying thing where he poked him in the head. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Itachi"

"You may no longer be a "little kid" as you put it," As the shadow clone in front of him burst into smoke and he heard Itachi's voice from behind him, Sasuke twisted around only to feel his brother's fingers poke him in the forehead.

"But you're still my little brother, Sasuke."

As Sasuke rubbed his forehead with the same pout he'd worn as a child, Itachi couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**The Land of Cloud…**

"Lord Raikage?"

"Hm? Yugito, is there something you need?"

"I…I have a request."

"Go ahead." _Strange. She's never one to ask for things._

"The Chunin Exams in Konohagakure are going to be occurring soon, and I was-" She stopped, more nervous than he'd seen her in some time. Honestly, he wasn't certain why she was so concerned. Most of the villagers, and a decent number of shinobi, were far from fond of their kind. But his little brother was a Jinchuuriki, several members of his staff had come to appreciate them, and his brother's teammates even considered Killer Bee a close friend. Of course, thinking back, Yugito had never really had a team, and she'd stopped trying to reach out to people some time before.

Yugito took a breath, gathered her composure, and continued. "I wanted to request your permission to escort them during the examinations."

_Well, I didn't expect that. Was it because of that boy?_ He wasn't as oblivious to her little escapade in the Hidden Leaf as she seemed to think. Not that he could blame her. Even after becoming the Raikage, he'd never really come off as one to pay too much attention, especially when he was having fun. But what would be the point in keeping an eye on people if they knew that you were keeping an eye on them?

He'd seen the boy drag her off, and his other guards had reported to him with the news that they'd had a meal together. It wasn't much, but it pleased him to think that she might have actually made a friend. He wasn't quite as pleased to hear that it was someone who wasn't from the Land of Lightning, but if she absolutely had to choose someone from another village, he would prefer it if they were from the more peace-inclined Konohagakure. The Hyuga certainly weren't pleased with them, and the Uchiha weren't much better, but overall the village didn't seem as bloodthirsty as the Sand, or Rock, or that new "Sound" village that seemed to pop up overnight.

Either way, it wouldn't hurt. The Village Hidden in the Clouds didn't exactly have a lot of allies these days. Perhaps allowing Yugito to associate with some of their people could allow them to draw them into some kind of alliance. Besides, so far just about the closest thing she had to a friend was Killer Bee. And as much as he loved his brother, everyone needed a break from him sooner or later. He almost pitied the Hachibi. It was one thing to lock the Eight-Tails away. It was another thing entirely to trap it with his insane, rap-obsessed brother for the rest of its life.

"Feel free to go with them if you want."

She looked surprised for a split second, but covered it immediately.

"Thank you, Lord Raikage." Giving him a grateful and respectful bow, she turned to leave the room. _Well, Naruto Uzumaki. It seems I'll be seeing you again sooner than I thought._

* * *

"Man, this thing reeks." The young, sandy-haired man shifted the bag on his shoulder, trying to inch it away from his nose.

"Suck it up, Yosuke."

"What is this thing, anyway?"

"Haven't looked in the bag?"

"Were we, uh…supposed to?"

"It's a corpse."

"What!? Why would we need to bring in a corpse?"

"How the hell should I know? Not like I'm Master Pain's best buddy or anything."

"Yeah, but you've been doing this longer than me. Haven't you, y'know, heard anything?"

"Of course I've heard things. Everybody's heard things. As far as I can tell, nobody actually knows anything. Well, nobody besides the Angel anyway." They entered the tower, and placed the body on a small platform.

"The...Angel?"

"Oh yeah, I guess you haven't been part of the village long enough to hear about her, eh?"

"Who is she?"

"Master Pain's right hand. She's probably the only person here that's actually seen him."

"Then how do you know he's even real? What if it's all just some kinda myth?"

"You kidding? Lord Hanzo and everyone loyal to him was slaughtered, and the only people anyone saw doing the damage were the Angel, and some other guy."

"And nobody remembers what he looked like?"

"Well…people talk, but not a lot of the stories really match up. Some people say he was a young guy with spiky hair, some say he was six feet of pure muscle, some people say he looked like a guy from the Fuma Clan. An' every now and then, somebody says that they saw the Fuma Clan guy somewhere around the village."

"Who do you think he is?"

"Me? Well personally I-"

"Thank you." They turned at the woman's voice, and Yosuke couldn't hold back his amazement at the figure hovering above them. It wasn't that she was the absolute most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, even if she was undeniably attractive, but what stood out were the wings. He wasn't sure what they were made of. They certainly weren't feathers. But the best he could come to describing her appearance as she floated above them with her wings spread out and the light shining behind her was truly, to put it simply, angelic.

"N-no problem, Angel."

"I believe there were more."

"Oh, r-right. Of course. We'll get right on it, ma'am."

Konan watched as they left, and glanced down to the newest body, lowering herself to the ground and unzipping it, taking a moment to look over the remains. Satisfied that it was undamaged enough to serve its purpose, she turned to await their return. Soon, they would have more than enough vessels to start speeding up their operation.

* * *

AN: Well, there ya go. A rather non-Naruto-centric chapter. But don't worry, we'll get back to our favorite blond soon enough. For now, I hope you enjoyed a lazy afternoon with Kakashi, Haku, and Asuma, and some family bonding with the Uchiha crew. Love to hear what y'all have to say, as usual.

EDIT: There was a bit of a typo before where I called Tekka "Teyaki". Definitely a difference between the two. Tekka = Konoha Police, Teyaki = Old Man. But thanks to the awesomeness that is the review system, that has been corrected.

Next time: A few old faces reappear, and training for the upcoming Chunin Exams kicks off.


	22. Before the Storm: First Test

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here we go. As per usual, the reviews are appreciated. A little shorter than the last couple chapters have been, but I hope you enjoy.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

As nightfall came, the Third Hokage sat back in his chair and allowed himself to relax after yet another long day of paperwork that he honestly didn't care for in the least. At least from what he'd observed, their newly returned citizens and the new arrival, Haku, seemed to be settling in well enough. He was certain that Zabuza and his companions would be able to do so as well. Of course, there was more political maneuvering to do than simply filling out a little paperwork. Sarutobi was convinced that the universe enjoyed placing obstacles in their path, and making something that easy simply wasn't possible. But that was his concern, not that of the shinobi in question.

Though as he looked into his crystal ball, he had to admit he was amused that Zabuza seemed to be of the belief that he and his companions had managed to infiltrate the tower completely undetected. So when the door to his office slammed open, he tried to look genuinely surprised, but ultimately came off as being a cheery old man who was playing along with a child who was pretending to be invisible.

"Y'know old man, I expected a little more resistance. Getting to your office was like a walk through the park. I figured that the Hokage would have better security than this." He didn't intend to fight the old man, and he was almost certain that the Hokage hadn't known they were coming. But honestly, even if he **did** know that they were coming, the sheer relaxed confidence that the Hokage was displaying unnerved him. Surely he wasn't **that** trusting of a foreign shinobi based solely on the word of a missing-nin that had been out of the village for nearly six years, was he?

"Oh, I have the utmost confidence in my security team." Even as the elderly man said it, Zabuza heard two thuds from behind him, and turned to see Kakashi cheerily reading his book, with Gozu and Meizu tied up and gagged at his feet, clearly frustrated with their current condition. Even as he turned back to the Kage sitting at the desk, the wood below him seemed to come alive, and before what was happening had even registered, his arms and legs were restrained in what seemed to be tree roots of some kind.

"Well, this is interesting." Despite the calm aura he tried to project, his thoughts weren't quite as calm. _What the hell is this? I've studied Hatake, but no one ever said anything about some kind of wood techniques. I've never heard of __**any**__ technique like this! Could it be the old man? But I only looked away for…No, he couldn't have done something so advanced, not in such a short time, not without me noticing!_

"So, would you mind telling me why you decided to barge into my office at these hours? If you wanted to find your friend's room, you simply had to ask."

"Most shinobi in Kirigakure see Konoha as weak. I just wanted to see if it was true or not before deciding to leave my life in your hands."

Much as he expected, the old man gave him that annoyingly friendly smile, obviously not the least bit concerned about being attacked by the former Mist ninja. It really was getting on his nerves. "And what is your verdict?"

_Not as fear-inspiring as back in Kiri, but…_"Not half bad. I think I'd like to stick around."

"Well, then I'm glad we have that cleared up. There aren't many things left to take care of regarding your status as a Shinobi of the Leaf, but you will need to fill out some paperwork tomorrow. Little Haku filled out as much as he could, but I'm afraid there's personal information that only you and your companions can confirm." He nodded to Kakashi, and the roots loosened and returned to the floor, allowing Zabuza to stretch his arms.

"Kakashi, if you would escort our new arrivals to their quarters?"

"Of course, Lord Hokage."

And with a few flicks of the wrist, the Demon Brothers were released, and grudgingly followed Kakashi. Zabuza watched the smiling Hokage for a few moments, then shrugged and let out a small laugh as he went to join the trio. At the very least, he was convinced that the old Hokage wasn't as weak and blindly trusting as he appeared. As the door closed behind him, the Hokage turned to his left and closed his eyes, shooting a smile towards the darkened corner.

"Well I feel that went rather well, don't you?"

Tenzo slipped out of the shadows where he'd been observing the scene, glancing at the door from behind his mask before nodding in agreement. They'd half expected Zabuza to attempt something upon his arrival, be it a test or a genuine threat. And he was definitely pleased to know that it was in fact simply a test. He could have made the restraints considerably more difficult to escape, but he'd allowed the former Mist shinobi enough slack to attempt getting free. That he hadn't made the attempt was a good sign.

"Still, I would like you to keep an eye on him. Looks can be quite deceiving, after all."

Leaning down to give the older man a quick bow, he stood and left the room. Kakashi and the Hokage didn't seem too worried about the trio, but he couldn't really blame them. Kakashi was busy trying to whip his Genin team into shape, the fact that he'd even passed a Genin team in the first place was baffling to anyone who knew him, and the Hokage was already split between dealing with problems in the village, worrying about foreign attackers, and trying to prevent Danzo from completely undermining his authority.

And so, he was perfectly satisfied with being sent to watch after a small group that might not even pose a genuine threat to them. As with many of the Leaf shinobi, he would do anything he could to lessen the Hokage's burden, and keeping this particular group out of trouble was far from difficult or out of his way.

* * *

The next morning, as Tenzo watched Haku reunite with his team and lead them to the offices where they could register as citizens or shinobi, the now-complete Team Seven had come together at their normal training grounds. Or at least, the three students had gathered, waiting for their sensei to arrive with some ridiculous excuse. One of the students sat on a bench staring off into the distance with a bored expression, chin resting on one of his hands, as the second of them sat next him, her knees pulled close to her chest as she tried to think of something that her dark-haired companion might be interested in talking about.

There was one student, however, that had yet to become accustomed to his sensei being so easily "distracted" by so many things. And the blond was more than willing to make his frustration known.

"Ugh! Is he always this late?"

"Hn."

"Yeah, that's our sensei."

"This is bullshit!"

"Hn."

"Preaching to the choir, Naruto."

"What, does he think we don't have anything to do with our lives besides sit around and wait for him?!"

"Hn."

"Probably."

"What point is there in learning to be a ninja if your teacher doesn't even show up?!" By this point, Naruto had started stomping around, looking as though he was about to burst.

"h-"

"Oh, would you just stop doing that stupid grunty thing already?!"

Sasuke finally glanced up at the energetic boy, and gave him a pointed look.

"Hn."

"Alright, that's it!" And as he was about to jump at the other boy, he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground by his collar, and glanced back to see their wayward sensei with what they'd come to assume was a smiling expression.

"Yo."

"You're late!"

"Am I? Sorry, but I got lost on the road of life."

Sasuke just glared at the man, while Sakura's expression was more skeptical.

"You've already used that excuse, sensei."

"It's an easy road to lose get lost on, believe me. Now," He dropped the now-pouting Naruto to the ground and reached into his pocket to retrieve a pair of bells. "I figure it's about time to get started on your training. Sasuke, Sakura, you're already familiar with this test."

And indeed they were. Naruto had an easy time picking up Sasuke's annoyed sigh and Sakura's blush, and decided that he'd have to ask later. Apparently there was a bit of a story there. Turning back to Kakashi, he stared at the bells in curiosity.

"But for the sake of our new arrival, I'll explain the rules. It's a very simple test. When I say begin, you try to take these bells before the time limit is up. Oh, and you should come at me with the intent to kill, because you aren't getting these bells any other way. Any questions?"

Naruto shook his head, and Kakashi tied the bells to his belt. He then pulled out a small clock, and made a few adjustments before setting it on a nearby log and turning it on. "Begin."

Remembering what had happened the last time all too well, Sasuke threw several smoke bombs to the ground and sped to the cover of the nearby trees, knowing that Sakura wouldn't be far behind, and hoping that Naruto would get the hint. Turning to scout out the situation with their sensei once he was under cover, he realized that even spending so much time with Itachi apparently hadn't changed the blonde's loud and straightforward nature.

"Naruto," Kakashi scratched his head, placing his other hand on his hip. "I think you're missing the point of this exercise."

"Missing the point my ass! I'm getting those bells, you perverted scarecrow!"

"I thought I was the broom-head?"

"I'm still workin' on it."

"Listen kid, you're supposed to be hiding."

"Not on your life, sensei! I'm gonna be the future Hokage, so there's no way I'm hiding from a fight!"

"Well you're not going to get the bells like this."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" And Naruto leapt forward, drawing a kunai as he ran, only for Kakashi to suddenly disappear just as he was about to strike. As he heard the older man behind him, he had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Hidden Leaf Village Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!"

Now normally Kakashi wasn't one to announce his attacks. In fact, the only ones who generally did so were academy students, Genin, or others who wanted to be shinobi and were in the process of learning. But the look on Naruto's face as he used the prank-loving Fourth Hokage's favorite technique was, to put it quite simply, priceless.

As the "Naruto" in front of him exploded into smoke a moment later, Kakashi flipped out his Icha Icha novel, and wondered how long it would take for Naruto to make his next charge. If what he'd heard from Haku was any indication, the kid could probably make those shadow clones all day if he felt like it.

On the other hand, while Kakashi was enjoying his book, Naruto was leaning against a tree, panting hard and trying to remove the haunted expression on his face. He'd sent several of his clones into the forest in case he needed to do a quick body-replacement jutsu, and had just barely managed to before getting hit with that…whatever it was, that his sensei had attacked him with. He'd definitely have to remember it though. He wasn't sure how useful it actually was in a fight, but it'd sure as hell make a decent prank sometime. He peeked around the side of the tree to glance at the older man, frustrated at how unthreatening the man seemed to consider him, and he began shifting through the jutsu he'd learned over the years hoping to find something that might work. He knew good and well that he wouldn't likely be able to take the Jonin in a head-on fight, since the man was probably as good as Itachi. Maybe better. And he'd never been able to beat Itachi in their training matches. But then, Itachi had been the one who trained him, so Kakashi was lacking at least one advantage over him that his former sensei had.

"Naruto." The whisper came from his left, and he saw Sakura and Sasuke kneeling a short distance away. He shot one more look at their sensei, who still seemed lost in his book, and crawled over to the duo.

"Um, either of you have a plan?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really."

"How'd you guys pass last time?"

"Barely." Sasuke let out a grunt, leaning back against a nearby tree when he was confident that Kakashi couldn't see them. "It's not about getting the bells. It's about teamwork."

"Huh?"

"We only figured it out last time around because Shisui kept giving me hints before we took the test."

"We just had to work together, even if we didn't win. Still," Sakura joined in. "It'd be nice if we really **could** get the bells."

"Hey Sour Sauce, anything the Sharingan can do to help us out here?" Sasuke flinched at the nickname that Naruto had apparently settled on.

"I don't have the Sharingan yet…What kind of equipment do we have?" Both of them gave the dark-haired boy a sheepish look.

"I thought we were just doing another D-rank mission, so I didn't really bring any kind of weapons…"

"Yeah, I don't have anything on me either."

He sighed, thinking for a few more minutes before turning to the blond. "Naruto, how many of those clones can you make?"

"Uh…I dunno. A few hundred, I guess." Their eyes went wide, but Sasuke soon shook it off.

"You're definitely the distraction. Think you could lure him back here?"

"No problem."

"Good. Sakura and I will set up what traps we can with what I've got on me, but we'll need a few minutes. Then you'll have to find a way to get him back here. I'll take care of the bells."

"Gotcha." Naruto disappeared for a few moments, and after a short period of rustling near enough for the duo to hear, the clearing in which Kakashi had been happily reading his book was suddenly filled with a small army of Naruto replicas.

And so began a dance of fists and feet, as Kakashi dodged and blocked a slew of punches, kicks, slashes, and stabs while constantly keeping his eyes on the book in his left hand, much to Naruto's annoyance. After several minutes, Kakashi flipped another of the clones aside after a miserably failed attempt at kicking him in the back of the head, and lowered his book for a moment to speak with the annoyed crowd. Before he could lecture the boy's poor strategy, a small, gray, and obviously excited animal leapt out from behind him to grab the book out of his hands, charging towards the line of trees. And suddenly, Kakashi wasn't enjoying their little game anymore.

Naruto grinned as the fox he'd summoned alongside his clones dropped the book in front of him, sending him an annoyed glare in the process.

"Annoying little kit, summoning me for such foolish tasks."

"Aw, c'mon ya senile gray rat. It's not like you've got anything better to do."

"Bah, excuses! We give you the contract so we can fight, and you summon us for book stealing trickery! Maybe next time no summon will come, hairless kit child hmhmhm!"

Naruto was about to respond when the crowd of his clones suddenly flew apart, a very unhappy Jonin dashing across the field towards their current location. Eyes widening, only one thought crossed Naruto's mind as he grabbed Yama by the scruff of his neck and made a dash for Sakura and Sasuke.

_Oh hell, I'm gonna die!_

"Run, little hairless kit person! Run like-"

"I know, I know!"

He created a few more clones to distract Kakashi as he made his way through the place they'd had their little strategy meeting earlier, and hoped that they'd had the time they needed. When he heard Kakashi stop behind him, a shuriken just barely slicing in front of the older man's face as he ducked backwards, he was confident that they'd at least managed something. That confidence increased as the trees on either side of their sensei exploded in a hail of wooden debris, and Sasuke appeared behind him, forcing a kunai into the older man's left shoulder.

That confidence disappeared seconds later as "Kakashi" exploded in a flash of light, knocking him to the ground and flinging Sasuke into a nearby tree. When he dragged himself to his feet a matter of seconds later, his ears ringing loud enough to block out most of the sound around him, he felt a rope tighten around his ankle and drag him into the air. As Kakashi deftly caught the book that Naruto had dropped as he was pulled through the air, he took the time to survey how well the others had managed, and realized that they hadn't fared any better than he had.

Sasuke was hanging from a tree by his hands, now tied above his head, and Sakura was strapped to a tree, none too happy with their current situation. Frankly, Naruto wanted to know exactly what kind of clone their sensei had used. He'd seen Itachi use standard intangible clones, shadow clones, and water clones, and he's seen a few other people use earth clones, but he'd never seen a lightning clone.

He glanced down at his sensei, who was once again reading his beloved book with a one-eyed smile. In the distance, he could hear the slight ringing of the clock's alarm going off, signaling their failure. Yama didn't seem to care one way or another, and curled up next to Kakashi's feet, mumbling about a nap before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Well, looks like you didn't get the bells in time." Three kunai flew through the air, releasing them from their bonds. "Nice try though, kiddos. How 'bout some lunch?"

"Can we have ramen?"

"Yes, Naruto. We can have ramen."

* * *

AN: Nope, they didn't pass the bell test. I love them to death, but Kakashi is a Jonin, and one of the most skilled Jonin out there at that. The three of them, while certainly skilled for Genin, are still just rookies when compared to people like Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Itachi, etc, etc. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed, and I'd love to hear what you have to think.


	23. Before the Storm: Invitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, it's been a little while. Not as long as my usual chapters, but I felt like getting something out. I've been having some issues getting myself to just sit down and write recently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. As per usual, thanks for the reviews. They're always appreciated.

NOTE Darak: I really want to avoid responding to individual reviews in the chapters if I can, but I'd still like to address your questions/complaints if you're still reading this. But I can't really do that if you're not signed in, since I can't reply to the review and there are a couple people with the name "Darak" on the site. I might put a sort of "questions" topic up on my forum, but until then there's not much I can really do but ask you to give me a means of responding to your questions.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

**The Next Day...**

"Mother." One final kunai was embedded into the training dummy before she turned to face him, a mildly annoyed expression at his interruption. Not that she was upset at her son's presence, but he'd always been so good at surprising people, especially when they were busy.

"Itachi." She put on a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Making a request. We haven't exactly been on the best terms since I returned."

"You know I'm always ready to listen." She'd always tried to listen if her children had something that they needed. Unfortunately, they rarely actually wanted help, and whenever Sasuke actually wanted help his questions always went to Itachi or Shisui first.

"I asked you to give Naruto a chance…" And she'd been considering it. She supposed that, in the end, it probably wouldn't hurt to actually sit down and see if he was really so horrible for herself. She had to admit that she'd never really tried to get to know the boy, so she couldn't say with complete honesty that he was what everyone believed he was.

"You did." She glanced away for a moment, taking a deep breath, and turned back to him. "And I think I'm willing to try."

"Thank you. I was hoping we could start tonight. He's usually happiest when he's eating. If you wouldn't mind, I was hoping the two of us could join you and Sasuke for dinner." Perhaps a little faster than she would have preferred, but…

"Like I said, I'll try. Your father isn't here, and Shisui is always training Sasuke late, so dinner won't be until around nine-thirty. Not unless you want to eat without Sasuke, anyway."

"…I don't suppose it would be much of a family dinner without my little brother. We'll be there at nine." At least she still knew enough about her eldest son to know that he wouldn't want to leave his brother out of something if he could help it.

"Are you sure he'll want to come?" Itachi's face morphed into what must have been the closest thing to disbelief that she'd seen on him since he was a child.

"Have you ever actually seen him eat? He'll be there."

* * *

"Hey, Forehead! You picked that up pretty quick, eh?" They'd spent the last three hours training with Kakashi. Most of it had been pretty standard testing, just seeing how familiar Naruto was with the basics, and then experimenting with how well the group could work together using only those basic skills. Because frankly, he'd been concerned. Their few D-Rank missions hadn't exactly required an intense amount of teamwork, and when it came to the bell test, two of them had already been through it and figured it out. So he'd prepared a few more less complicated tests. Tests that they might actually have a chance of passing.

Much to their sensei's pleasure, they had done rather well. Certainly their teamwork hadn't been perfect, but there were very few new teams from which perfection could be expected. At the very least, they'd proven to him that their ability to work together in the previous test wasn't just a fluke.

However, they'd spent the last twenty to thirty minutes practicing tree-climbing and water-walking through chakra control. Or to be more accurate, Sakura had learned how to, while he and Sasuke raced up the tallest tree in the area repeatedly in an attempt to outdo one another. Both of them had already known how to do the basic chakra control lessons, having been trained by two Jonin-level shinobi for several years, but Sakura hadn't ever even tried before, and Naruto had to admit that he was impressed. He couldn't speak for Sasuke, but it had taken him multiple training sessions just to figure out how even the less complicated tree-climbing technique worked.

Sakura, on the other hand, had figured it out and successfully made it up the tree she was using in a matter of minutes. He and Sasuke had barely finished their little race when they'd nearly fallen off in surprise after seeing her standing upside down on a branch, cheering about her success. And she ended up having even less trouble with the water-walking techniques than the tree-climbing ones. He knew that she didn't have the crazy amount of chakra that he had, but she was definitely ahead of him when it came to chakra control.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I? How about you guys? When did you learn how to do this?"

"A few years ago. Shisui taught me."

"Aw, c'mon Sour Sauce, you've gotta have a better story than that!" Admittedly, he was disappointed at how little Sasuke seemed to mind the nickname. He must've been getting used to it. It was too bad. He'd been hoping to drag out the teasing for a while, but it'd only been a couple days. Oh well.

"…What?"

"Listen man, you've gotta spice it up a little. Just saying 'I learned it' is boring! I mean, I remember when I had to learn the whole tree-walking thing. Freaky-Eyes was almost ready to take up Gill Neck's offer to nail my feet to the tree by the time I finally figured it out. It took them getting fed up and setting the bottom of the tree on fire for me to finally do it."

Sakura shot him a somewhat incredulous look at that claim. "Set the tree on fire? They set the tree on fire while you were **on** it?"

"He always did have odd training methods. I don't remember anything quite like that though."

"Yeah, that's Freaky-Eyes for ya. I blame Gill Neck. The creepy shark man gives Freaky-Eyes all kinds of crazy ideas."

Sakura leaned forward, nudging the blond as they walked. "You've mentioned this 'Gill Neck' person a lot. Who is he exactly?"

"Eh? He's just some guy in that group thing that Itachi joined. Looks kinda like a shark, carries a big sword, makes a lotta threats. I guess he's like a meaner, crazier Zabuza. But blue."

_He's blue?_ "I guess that might explain the whole 'Gill Neck' thing."

"You said he's in the same organization as Itachi. Is he a good fighter?" It seemed Sakura wasn't the only one that was curious.

"Yeah, he was pretty good. He never really fought much."

"He doesn't like to?"

"No, no, he loves to kill stuff. It just never takes him very long, so I'm not too sure what he can do." Well, it wasn't completely true. He knew that Kisame used water techniques, and that he was just plain vicious with that sword of his, but he honestly hadn't ever seen the man go all out.

"You were gone for six years and you never saw him fight seriously?"

"Well he kinda stayed with us off and on. He'd go off to do a job once in a while, then catch up with us, then he'd go off to do something else. He was a pretty busy guy."

"Seems like it. Listen, I've got to meet Shisui for training." Sasuke stopped, turning off towards the Uchiha Complex, as Naruto had come to expect in the short time he'd known him. Naruto had always thought of himself as a little obsessed with training, but after meeting Sasuke, he was convinced that he didn't know the first thing about being obsessed with training. Sometimes it didn't seem like the dark-haired boy did anything besides training.

"Man, that guy runs you ragged, eh?"

"It's not that hard."

"Later, Sour Sauce."

"Bye Sasuke!"

He lazily waved back at them with a grunt, and Naruto smiled. He figured that in Sasu-speak, that was probably about the same as a cheery "see you later".

"So Forehead," As he saw her twitch, he was amused that at least she was still reacting to the name. "Wanna go to lunch?"

"Didn't you eat before you came to training?" He looked at her as though she were insane.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Do you ever think about anything besides food?"

"N-Yes…Maybe."

"Ugh. Boys. You all have one-track minds. Anyway, I think I'm just gonna take a walk. Maybe later though." She'd been meaning to take some time to think over what had happened in the last few days. Between a flood of easy but time-consuming missions, their new training set, and trying her best to have something resembling a social life, she'd barely had any time to just sit back and relax.

"See ya later then, Forehead."

About ten minutes later, a voice spoke up from behind as she made her way to one of Konohagakure's smaller parks. It seemed that she still wasn't going to get her peace and quiet.

"You are…Sakura, correct?" She turned to face the elder brother of her crush, surprised that he'd want to talk to her. Then again, she **was** the only member of her brother's team that he didn't really know.

"Y-yeah, that's me."

"I've been watching the three of you train."

"Oh! Well, uh…thanks?" She ventured, hoping that it was a compliment. She didn't exactly know the quiet boy as well as her teammates.

"Your taijutsu and ninjutsu are lacking."

"Oh." Well, so much for the comment being a compliment.

"Sasuke tells me that you dispelled one of Kakashi's genjutsu in your first test. And you have shown a rather impressive talent for chakra control."

Well at least that one sounded more like a compliment. It certainly didn't sound like it could be an insult, anyway.

"I could tutor you. genjutsu has always been a talent of mine."

"You want to teach me genjutsu?"

"If you wish."

"But why?" A tutor in genjutsu? She was already putting her social life on hold.

"Because I believe it could be a valuable skill for your team to acquire. Sasuke has always preferred taijutsu or ninjutsu when he was younger, and that preference doesn't seem to have changed. Naruto…Well, let's just say that genjutsu has never been his strong point and leave it at that."

Taking more time out of her social life wasn't something that she would enjoy. Thanks to Ino, she was a relatively popular teenage girl, but…She was a shinobi now. And she didn't want to be a burden to her team. Naruto was her friend, despite the limited time she'd spent with him, and she couldn't disappoint Sasuke. If his big brother really thought she'd be able to actually help them in a way that mattered, then…

"Yes. If you think it will help them, then yes. I'd really appreciate it." He gave her a small nod, and turned away.

"Take half an hour to rest after your training session tomorrow, and then meet me here."

"But what if I have a mission?"

"I've already checked with Captain Hatake." He paused and added a quick "Just in case you agreed" almost as an afterthought.

"I see…Thank you." Somehow, the claim that he asked Kakashi "just in case" didn't make her feel any less like he'd known she would agree to his offer from the moment that he'd decided to make it. Sighing, she turned to continue her walk, hoping that her attempt at relaxing wouldn't be interrupted yet again.

* * *

"Kisame, are we boring you?"

Kisame stopped mid-yawn, glancing around the room to see the images of his fellow Akatsuki agents, presented through some kind of unique communication jutsu or whatever it was that their leader used, staring at him.

"Sorry, sorry." He really did hate these little report sessions. It's not like anything all that interesting would happen until they started going after the Jinchuuriki and making themselves known. All they ever seemed to do was listen to each other ramble about a bunch of uninteresting details that didn't matter all that much to someone who preferred action over planning. It didn't help that somehow or another, he always seemed to end up going last.

"I'm just so bored. Financial problems this, political setbacks that. I wanna get to the real action." It was also an annoyance that Itachi, who was easily far more suited to this type of thing, often managed to avoid attendance somehow or another.

"Oh c'mon Master Kisame! Master Sasori's always talking about really cool stuff like art, and puppets, and poisoning, anaugh-" Tobi's voice cut off in a series of gurgles and yells as his and Deidara's images temporarily disappeared from view, likely out of an unwillingness to listen to their bickering on their leader's part. After a short period of awkward silence between the group, Deidara and Tobi reappeared. Now the "images" in their leader's jutsu didn't exactly give a crystal clear picture of each member, but even with their limited view of the others, Kisame was pretty certain that Tobi's cloak was covered in scorch marks.

"That wasn't very nice Master Dei-"

"Dammit Tobi, just shut up already!"

"…"

"…"

"M'kay."

"Tobi, I'm giving you one last warning. One more word and I swear I-"

"Enough." The two went silent at the command, their leader's voice intimidating even with such a relaxed tone. "I'm not interested in your bickering. Sasori, if you would continue?"

"Very well. My informants in the Rock tell me…" And with that little amusing episode out of the way, Kisame once again tuned out the reports that Sasori always insisted in dragging out.

It wasn't that he didn't want to know **what** Sasori was saying, it was just that he really had no interest in listening to the puppet-master saying it. He was too long-winded for Kisame's tastes. He was, after all, more used to spending most of his time with Tobi and Itachi. Itachi rarely spoke unless he was teaching the Kyuubi kid something, and while Tobi went on and on and on and on, his mindless babble was actually entertaining. Sasori was just too monotone, too boring. But when his colleague was reaching the end of his report, Kisame's found himself paying quite a bit of attention.

"My spy has yet to report any abnormalities in Orochimaru's behavior. He has merely continued his attempts to master as many jutsu as possible, and appears to be making no move towards acting against us or interfering with our goals, just as we expected. I doubt his actions should be of any concern. However, there is evidence indicating that the Kazekage may be planning something."

"Will it cause a problem?"

"That is uncertain. Yura has yet to make his report." Most, if not all, of those present knew the implications of that statement. They knew very few of Sasori's spies by name, but Yura was certainly among those few that they did try to remember, as he was one of the only spies at their disposal that had actually managed to reach a significant position in their target's government.

As a trusted member of the Kazekage's advisory council, as well as a key member of the village's defense planning, he was privy to information that their other agents in the Land of Wind weren't. As a result, he had provided them with a number of highly useful pieces of information regarding the inner workings of one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the only times that he hadn't reported precisely when he'd been expected to was when something important was happening, and his input in the council was required.

"Contact me the moment that you find out anything. If the Kazekage is up to something, we need to know as soon as possible."

"Of course, Leader."

"And your mission, Kisame?"

_Finally._ "Just like you expected, Leader. Took 'em a little longer to call for Konohagakure than I expected though."

"And Dokoro?" The foolish bandit that they'd hired to raid the Land of Waves, and provided with the information and resources they needed to evade capture. It wasn't hard to predict that Itachi and Zabuza would eventually request aid from Konoha. Still, they'd waited longer than Kisame believed they would, though he supposed that he should have known better. Zabuza and Naruto were both too proud to ask for help, Zabuza's little cronies wouldn't go against his decisions, and Itachi…Well, Itachi wasn't as prideful as Zabuza or Naruto, but he certainly wouldn't like to admit that he was having difficulty capturing a few random thugs.

"They lost a couple guys, nothin' big." In fact, he'd say that it was pretty lucky of them to lose so few men when Zabuza was involved. The man could be a bloodthirsty beast at time. Heck, it was one of the reasons why Kisame respected him.

"Hm. Well, no matter. With fewer men, it just means that they get more of the cut. Pay them the rest of what we promised and send them on their way."

"Will do, Leader."

"I believe we're done here."

* * *

AN: Like I said, hope you enjoyed, and I'd love to hear from you guys.


	24. Before the Storm: Specialty

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Not sure just why, but this chapter was giving me hell. I'm still not too happy with it, but if I kept it until I was completely satisfied, you'd probably never see the rest of the story. And on a side note for those who have mentioned it, a few of the characters' ages, as of the most current chapter:

Naruto (And pretty much all of his class) – 12.

Itachi – 17.

Shisui – 20.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

"Thank you for helping with dinner, Shisui." Not that he was honestly helping that much. He'd proven long ago that anything more than cutting vegetables or heating water was quite simply beyond his understanding, and even that was a bit risky. In fact, he was living proof that the Uchiha Clan wasn't always good at everything.

Four years previously, he'd somehow burned down a house trying to make a salad. The investigation was ongoing.

"No problem, Lady Uchiha. Besides, we don't exactly have little Itachi around very often these days. It's the least I can do."

"Little Itachi. We can't really call him little now, can we?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Mister Broody grew up. And now he's bringing the fox runt over for dinner, eh? This should be interesting."

"Mister Broody? I haven't heard you call him that for years. And yes, Itachi is bringing **him**. That's what this whole dinner is about."

"Y'know, I've been thinking about that a lot since they got back. I think that maybe we should do it. Give him a chance, I mean. Maybe he's not so bad."

"It does seem to be important to Itachi."

"You don't like it though." In retrospect, he probably should have worked on trying not to state things that were blatantly obvious.

"How could I? We didn't have the highest losses, but several members of our clan were still slaughtered in the fox's attack. Even if the Fourth Lord Hokage did use his own son for the ritual, he's still…"

"I know, I know. Trust me, I do." Everyone who lost something to the Kyuubi knew what Naruto was. Or according to Itachi, **thought** that they knew what he was. "But I can't believe Itachi would be so protective of the kid just because he's the Fourth's son."

"He idolized the Fourth Lord Hokage. It's not that far out of the question."

"Not out of the question, no, but I just can't see him doing that. He's always been one to need a deeper motive than 'someone wanted it.' Plus, that would be way too sentimental for The Broody King. Then again, you probably know him better than I do, Lady Uchiha."

"…You're right. I hate admitting it, but Itachi must have seen something in him. I just wish I could understand **what** exactly."

"He always did tend to see things that the rest of us didn't." He glanced towards a pot full of water off to the left, wondering why it was sitting there unattended. "Y'know, we should probably heat that up…"

"Itachi has always been perceptive, yes, but I just can't stand that boy. Even without thinking about the fox, he's always been such a troublemaker. Just because Itachi likes him, it doesn't mean he's not-W-wait! Don't touch that!"

A couple hours later, Itachi wasn't all that surprised when a singed and sheepish Shisui showed up at his and Naruto's guest quarters to tell them that they'd be having dinner at his apartment rather than the main house.

_Some things never change._ His inability to cook without needing a hospital was undoubtedly one of those things, and he silently hoped that Shisui's intentionally childish attempts to cheer him up were among them as well.

* * *

Naruto had manners. Itachi knew that Naruto had manners. He'd even seen the boy be polite and respectful on a very, very limited number of occasions. Itachi also knew that Naruto would completely disregard those manners because being "prissy and stuck up" as he put it was too much effort for something he didn't really care about, especially when it wasn't somehow a matter of life or death.

Dinner with the head family of the Uchiha Clan was apparently not close enough to life or death to warrant that kind of effort. That's what he assumed, anyway, while he watched Naruto stuff himself silly, as though he apparently didn't expect to ever eat again. Much to his mother's horror, Sasuke seemed to take this as a challenge, and one which he soon charged in to meet without hesitation.

Itachi was already used to seeing people eat like this, having spent so much time with Naruto. Mikoto, ever efficient and calm, was disgusted at Naruto's behavior, and perhaps even more so with Sasuke's given that he didn't have the excuse of not having people to teach him proper etiquette. Shisui, well, Shisui just wanted to join the fun.

And so much to the horror of the other adults at the table, join the fun he did.

"…You should probably try to get something while you can, Mother." He reached forward to expertly pluck something from the edge of the flurry of hands and chopsticks flying across the table.

"That's…It's just-"

"Disgusting? Sickening? Gross? Vile? All true, but you get used to it." And yet Mikoto couldn't look away. Itachi knew the feeling. There was just something fascinating about the way that the trio seemed capable of swallowing more food than they should have been able to fit in their mouths at all. Even if they actually had been chewing.

"They'll get sick if they keep eating like this."

"Probably." It wouldn't be the first time that he'd seen Naruto get sick in an eating contest.

"Then why-"

"Don't question it, just accept it and move on. Trust me. You'll never find the answer."

"…Can they even hear us?"

"Doubtful." It was almost like their ears stopped functioning when food was involved. Or maybe it was just their brains in general. Either way, the results were the same.

And then all movement came to a sudden stop as three pairs of chopsticks came down on the last of the rice cakes, and the wielders of said potential weapons began to stare one another down.

…_This won't end well._

* * *

In the meantime, there was another certain duo in Konohagakure looking to have a somewhat less chaotic dinner. Or at least one of them was. The other was simply a slightly paranoid psychopath who was bored out of his mind waiting to officially become a member of the Leaf Village so he'd finally be able to take on actual missions again.

And that's how Zabuza Momochi found himself following Haku into a ramen stand, where they were soon greeted by a young brunette woman wearing an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, but we're closing down for the night."

"Oh? That's too bad. Naruto was always talking about this place." As Haku put on a fake pout that he'd undoubtedly picked up from the blond brat, Zabuza let out a sigh. Not only had Haku developed a strange love of ramen during their time with Naruto, but he'd picked up a few other habits as well. Of course, nothing could override his quiet, calm, controlled nature completely, but he sure as hell wouldn't have even considered helping someone with a prank until he'd met the boy.

The damned little fox brat caused him no end of frustration sometimes. Then again, the brat was the one that had eventually forced him to acknowledge that he did in fact care about Haku, so it was probably a reasonable tradeoff.

"Naruto? Are you friends of his?"

"Yes, we are. We've gotten to know him quite well over the last several years."

"Really? Well, I think we could make **one** little exception this time. What would you like?"

"Miso, please."

"And you sir?"

"I'm just along for the ride." He had to admit, it was somewhat unnerving how no one in the peaceful village seemed remotely intimidated by him. During his time in the Mist he'd always viewed Konoha's status as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages as a bit of a fluke, given that they were absurdly friendly and caring. Of course, Itachi and Naruto had long since convinced him that for all its supposed weakness, Konoha was perfectly capable of producing dangerous shinobi when it needed to. And the Hokage's display in his office didn't do anything to change that belief. The old man definitely had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Ayame!" An older male voice called from behind the stand. "What's going on up there?"

"Just some friends of Naruto's, dad! I thought we could stay open another minute!"

"Friends of Naruto's?" There was silence for a moment as Ayame began putting the meal together, and then the old man whom Zabuza assumed had spoken earlier appeared from around the side of the shop. "You must be the visitors that came through here the other day. The name's Teuchi, and this is my daughter Ayame. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Haku Momochi. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Zabuza." Teuchi ignored the somewhat gruff introduction on his part, turning a cheery smile their way.

"So, this your first time in Konoha? I don't see all of the foreigners who visit, but I think someone would have mentioned it if they saw someone carrying that thing around." He nodded up to the sword on Zabuza's back.

"Yes, it is. We never really spent much time in the Fire Country, but Naruto was always talking about how amazing his village was so we thought that maybe we'd come and see it, at least since the opportunity presented itself."

"So Naruto was still fond of this place, eh? If it were anybody else I'd be shocked, but the kid's always been a bit off." As Ayame set the bowl in front of him, Haku looked at them in curiosity.

"Why does everyone seem to think that Naruto **shouldn't** like this village? Some shinobi I met before mentioned that quite a few people here didn't like him, but they wouldn't say much."

"It figures. We're not supposed to say exactly what happened, but I could probably give you the basic idea."

"Dad!"

"Oh, don't worry so much Ayame. I know the law. I can't tell you everything that happened, but I can give you the short version."

"Could you? I'd appreciate it."

"Sure, no problem."

When the man actually agreed, Zabuza had to admit that he was a bit surprised. Unlike his young companion, he was already perfectly aware of Naruto's situation. Certain circumstances several years earlier had lead to a little talk between Itachi and himself, and it had been rather enlightening. In retrospect, Zabuza had to wonder if he should have told Haku about what Naruto was, regardless of whether or not he agreed with Itachi's request to let Naruto explain it in his own time. Still, he had to admit that he was curious as to how the old man would explain it away without breaking this law that supposedly existed to prevent them from telling the truth about the incident.

"You see, twelve years ago the village was attacked by a demon. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."

"The Kyuubi no Yoko!?"

"Huh? Don't hear a lotta people call it that these days, but yeah. Anyway, a bunch of people died, many more were injured. Even the Fourth Hokage, who most of the village practically worshipped, died in the fight. He managed to get rid of the thing of course, but everybody lost something."

"Excuse me for interrupting, but what does this have to do with Naruto? Why would the Kyuubi's attack make everyone so angry with him?" A legitimate question, really. The two hardly seemed to be connected based on that alone.

"It's annoy, really. See, Naruto was born on the same day that it attacked. He was the **only** person in the village that was born that day. So as far as most people here are concerned, he's just a giant reminder of everything that they lost, and he hasn't exactly helped the problem. He's always been really stubborn and sneaky, playing practical jokes and that sort of thing. That's the kind of stuff that people usually think of when they think of a fox. A really mischievous prankster."

"And what's worse," Ayame interrupted her father's explanation "is that nobody knows who his parents are. They were probably just killed in the attack like all of the other people who died, but since nobody really knows, it can seem like he just suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

Zabuza cut in at this point, already having an idea of where they were going with this edited "explanation" of theirs. "And since Naruto was born on the same day that the Kyuubi no Yoko disappeared, people jumped to conclusions."

"You got it, kid." Zabuza bristled slightly at being called a "kid," but at least it was better than Bald-Brow. "Not all of us hate him, and a lot of people just don't want to think about that day, but some of them honestly believe that he **is** the fox. He acts a lot like a fox, he's got those whisker marks just like a fox, and he kinda popped up out of nowhere on the day that the fox disappeared. There are a lot of other explanations for any of those things, but people need a scapegoat, y'know?"

"That's horrible." That wasn't quite the image that Haku had always gotten whenever Naruto spoke of the village. He'd always been targeted by certain groups because of their fear of bloodline limits, but to be almost universally despised by your entire village simply for being born on a certain day? Suddenly the quiet village didn't seem quite as peaceful as it had before.

"Yeah," Teuchi's face dropped. "It really is. Pretty stupid too, if you ask me. But he wasn't totally alone. We always loved to have him, and the Hokage seemed to like him. One of his teachers at the academy was always treating him to ramen and looking out for him too, this guy named Iruka. And I guess you probably know about Itachi Uchiha."

"Hmph. The Uchiha kid does keep pretty good track of the runt."

"Yeah." Ayame smiled at the thought of the raven-haired prodigy of the Uchiha Clan. "He's always been watching after Naruto. He would just show up whenever Naruto would manage annoy some of the villagers into chasing him around."

"I imagine that Naruto's behavior didn't help his standing here. He's been like that for as long as I can remember." Haku turned to Zabuza with a small smile. "Why Zabuza, don't you remember the time Naruto put-"

"I think this conversation is over."

* * *

A broken table and several sore skulls later, four teenage boys were preparing to go to sleep in the only room of the main house that a very irate Mikoto was willing to let them use on this particular night, lest they risk letting the main house suffer the same fate as Shisui's. And once again, upon being ordered to "Go to their room," Naruto proved that he wasn't completely oblivious to the dangers that an angry kunoichi represented and smartly decided not to point out that he didn't technically have a room there.

"It was such a good table." Shisui seemed to care less about his punishment, and more about the table that had been broken in two as Mikoto knocked the three of them through after a stray and very full bowl had found its way to her face.

"So Freaky-Eyes, why do you get the bed?" Naruto, clad in his favorite toad pajamas, plopped down next to Itachi as Shisui continued to mourn the loss of his furniture.

"The three of you started the whole thing," With a slight push, Naruto was suddenly back on the floor. "And I'm getting punished for it. You can sleep on the floor."

"Oh come on! We were just having fun!"

"You nearly killed each other over a rice cake." Sasuke snorted at that, pointing an accusing finger at his brother.

"A rice cake that you stole while we were fighting over it."

"She shattered it. My beautiful, custom-made table." Shisui's cries went unnoticed by the other occupants of the room.

"Don't blame me for your inability to focus on your target, little brother."

"So," Naruto interrupted before Sasuke could shoot a sarcastic barb in return. "You guys think your mom's still pissed at us?"

"It never hurt anybody."

"Hn. Most likely." At least she wasn't annoyed with Naruto alone. Though he wasn't particularly happy that she was annoyed with him, considering the fact that he'd done his best to keep out of the chaos that had driven Mikoto's patience to the ends of its limits, resulting in their current situation.

"I used my first fire jutsu at that table." And had nearly burned his house down for the first time.

"She'll get over it, Naruto." Sasuke yawned from across the room. "We're just lucky we were at Shisui's place. If we were here at home, she would've killed us." Had he not known his mother quite as well as he did, he might have thought that she **had** been trying to kill them, at least based on the Shisui shaped imprint that now adorned the floor after his cousin had accidentally dragged her into the struggle.

"It was just sitting there doing its job, minding its own business."

"Hey, whatever you say. But man, she looked as angry as Zabuza after the whole itching powder incident." _Heh. Now _**that** _was a fun time._ "Oh well. G'night Freaky-Eyes, Hot Sauce, Speedy."

"Why did she have to-"

"Shisui, shouldn't you be a little more concerned with your head?"

"My head's fine! My favorite table on the other hand, is-"

Pulling a pillow over his ears, Itachi prepared for a long night of listening to his old friend's intentionally childish complaints, and promised that he'd ask Naruto to get the elder boy back sometime in the near future.

* * *

AN: I still don't feel like this chapter is good enough, but I've put off this update for way too long as it is. Maybe I'll come back to it eventually, but for now I hope you enjoyed. Anyway, the Chunin Exams are heading this way pretty quickly. There won't be too many more pre-exam chapters after this, though there are a couple.


	25. Before the Storm: Observation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: I know, I know. People are starting to get a bit eager for the action to pick up. Have no fear, there are only a few more chapters before you'll start seen more of what Naruto and Sasuke can do. On a side note, unless Kishi just pulls a complete mind-reading move on me, I'm pretty sure that I'm going in a much different direction with Madara/Tobi, Orochimaru, and Danzou's plots/fates than the manga is (Based on some of what's been said about their intentions recently, anyway). I'm also going to be going in a different direction with Nagato, his past, and his plans, though not as different as with the others. So that should be pretty good news for those who were getting annoyed that it felt like it was just going to be a rehash of the canon story, but with more Itachi.

On a side note, for those just tuning in, I referred to Sarutobi as "Sasuke Sarutobi" because at the time that it was written, the third databook revealing his name hadn't been released yet. So…Let's just say that his full name is "Hiruzen Sasuke Sarutobi", with his friends/associates calling him "Sasuke" while most others call him "Hiruzen" or his title, and I'll fix that little error when I go back and touch things up a bit.

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

When Naruto Uzumaki slept, the themes of his dream world were few in number, but often consistent in nature. They had changed somewhat as he grew older, but ultimately there was very little difference. Since becoming a teenager, these dreams mostly consisted of women, money, fame, and on the rare occasion, a massive nine-tailed fox chasing him across the countryside in an attempt to turn him in to a light but worthwhile snack. No doubt this unusual vision was courtesy of the Kyuubi.

And food. Food was most definitely among the more interesting aspects of the visions brought about by his unconscious mind during times of rest. Itachi was very familiar with what could occasionally result from such dreams. Sasuke and his mentor, however, were not.

So while it came of no surprise to Itachi, one Sasuke Uchiha was quite shocked when a pair of teeth gripped his ankle in the early hours of the morning, likely as a result of dream Naruto finally managing to catch that ever-elusive flying dream ramen. The resulting yell of surprise and frustration at such an early hour was quite probably the source of Mikoto Uchiha's own less-than-cheery aura when an annoyed Sasuke, a sheepish Naruto, a confused Shisui, and a completely unperturbed Itachi joined her for breakfast that morning.

The four younger members of the group gathered for the meal, in a somewhat rare phenomenon, managed to come to a universal agreement without speaking so much as a single word. This agreement essentially boiled down to one thing; As none of them wanted to take a dirt nap at such an early age, there would under no circumstances be a repeat performance of their meal the night before.

And so the beginning of their morning meal passed in relative peace, aside from a few glares sent Naruto's way by a certain dark-haired teenager who didn't appreciate the blonde's sleep-driven attempt to make him the first course. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, Shisui looked towards the two youngest in the group.

"So, what's training with the Captain look like today?"

"Day off."

"The pervy masked broomhead said we could do whatever we wanted today. Some kinda meeting or something. Don't know, don't care. At least we're not chasing that freak cat again."

"Ah, the demon cat of the underworld."

"I'm pretty confident that its name is Tora, Shisui."

"Itachi, it's evil. I don't care if it has a name. You remember the hell that thing put us through."

At the raised eyebrows from all three of the other Uchiha in the room, Naruto had to wonder if that sarcastic disbelieving expression was just something the family inherited naturally. It was actually a bit creepy how all of them seemed to know how to make the exact same expression at just the right moment.

"…The hell it put me through, anyway. It never gave you any trouble, with your stupid Genjutsu. And you never used it until the accursed thing finished kicking me around."

"As I recall, you always told me to 'let you handle it' when we were assigned that particular mission."

"You never seemed to have trouble smacking me over the head and telling me to think before I act on our **other** missions."

"Retrieving Tora shouldn't be an exceptionally life-threatening task."

"Yeah, well…tell that to Tora."

"Gotta go with Speedy on this one, Freaky-Eyes."

"It **is** a pretty vicious little creature when it wants to be, big brother."

"…So, you all have the day off?" Then he had a date with his new student. Besides, with Mikoto staying out of the conversation, he clearly wasn't getting any support here.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Nothing you need to worry about."

"You know I hate it when you say that, Freaky-Eyes. Every time you say I 'don't have to worry' someone ends up tying me to a tree, trying to set me on fire, freezing me, or trying to turn me into a kitten! Heck, I wasn't able to wear my froggie pajamas for a month back in that freaky forest!"

"It wasn't that bad, Naruto."

"Have **you** ever been eaten by a giant toad? No!" If they didn't have the entire room's attention before, they certainly did now. "It's not a fun time, Freaky-Eyes. I smelled like frog guts for a week!"

"You got eaten by a toad?" Especially a bewildered Shisui.

"It's really nothing serious. I just have an appointment of sorts. Believe me Naruto, you won't be getting eaten again anytime soon."

"Seriously, a toad?"

"Better not be. You know there's not a lot that bugs me, but that was freaking gross."

"As in 'hip, hop, croak, ribbit' toad?"

"Yes, he was eaten by a toad."

"Because **you** said that it was sleeping!"

"I said it was probably sleeping, and specifically told you **not** to take the sword that it was guarding."

"Well that's what we were there for! What the heck was I supposed to do?"

"…Listen?"

"…"

"…"

"Cool sword though."

"Yes. Yes it was."

"So just to make sure we're all on the same page here, you were actually **eaten** by a toad?"

Mikoto just sighed. _I'm getting too old for this._

* * *

She'd returned to the park. Sure, Sasuke's brother hadn't actually said that they had a training session today, but Sakura had plenty of free time now that they'd gotten a day off and she had no intention of disappointing her potential tutor just because she'd felt like getting a little extra sleep in. Besides, even if he didn't show up, this particular park had always been a nice place to just take a relaxing walk. She smiled as she walked by two children playing what was obviously a "ninja" game of some kind near a park bench, and began to consider her own time as a ninja of the Leaf Village.

It was…messier than expected, for one. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. In their younger years, they'd spent a lot of time on theory and studies that weren't very combat-oriented. Some of her best memories of the academy had been from her childhood days, learning about flower arrangements from Ino, taking quizzes at the academy, learning the basic jutsu…But she hadn't been prepared for her first real mission. Honestly, she wasn't sure that more than a few of her classmates had honestly considered what being a ninja would entail. Sasuke's clan probably would have made it clear, and Shino had certainly always seemed more of a realist than the rest of the class, but most of them had been like her, joining because they wanted glory, or to catch someone's attention, or a variety of other things that **didn't** take into consideration the very real possibility that they would be killed.

Walking along the small path, she smiled as she walked by two children playing what was obviously a "ninja" game near a park bench, turning back to the path again before…

_Why am I moving so slow today? Normally I'd be there by now. Wait, didn't I just-_

Sakura's thoughts were cut off as she doubled over, gasping for breath as the world around her blurred for several seconds. As it came back into focus, Itachi Uchiha appeared before her, looking down with a neutral expression. He leaned over to grip her by the shoulder and lift her to her feet, helping her remain steady until her breathing had returned to normal.

"The one absolute truth that any serious Genjutsu practitioner must understand is simple. There is no such thing as being off guard." He hadn't used an especially powerful Genjutsu on the girl, only enough so that he could strike her before she became aware of what had occurred, but he was somewhat disappointed. He supposed that it was a result of having dealt with considerably more powerful and well-trained shinobi over the years. It was probably too much to expect a Genin, especially a Genin with so little field experience, to be prepared for an attack before the very first training session had "officially" started on a day where they weren't even sure if there would be a session.

"T-that's insane! Who can be on guard twenty four hours a day?"

"It's true that you don't have to be unquestionably aware of every grain of sand or every swaying leaf at each hour of each day. The human body simply cannot stand such a heightened sense of awareness for such an extended period of time. However, on at least some level, a master of Genjutsu will always be on guard, always cautious. With enough dedication, keeping an unconscious eye on one's surroundings can eventually become a second nature, and will require minimal effort to maintain unless a particularly powerful Genjutsu technique is used."

What he failed to mention was that if one attained that level of awareness, any technique capable of so thoroughly deceiving a master would either indicate the presence of a fellow Genjutsu master or a technique so powerful that knowing of its presence would do little good either way. However, that was a lesson for another day. Noting that the girl had recovered from the blow, he continued.

"Certainly I wouldn't expect a Genin to perform such a task. Regardless of your potential, you aren't on that level." _Not yet._ "Still, one cannot attain and properly wield power without first understanding its principles. You are friends with my brother, but you are a shinobi now as well. I won't treat you like a child."

She frowned at that, nodding in understanding. She didn't expect him to treat her 'like a child' by any means. She simply hadn't expected an assault at their first meeting. Even Kakashi, who according to what she'd heard was one of the strictest Jonin instructors in the village, had gone through the seemingly-mandatory questions designed so that teams could get to know each other before putting them through any real training.

"From this point on, I expect you to be on the lookout for anything remotely out of the usual the very moment that you intend to come to our training sessions. Are you prepared to follow my instructions?"

That was the real question. Originally, during their academy days, her only real focus had been her schoolwork, friends, and spending time with Sasuke. School wasn't an issue when she'd made Genin, but it had left her desire to be with her crush. Yet in spite of this, she'd felt a compulsion to prove herself to both Sasuke and her new sensei as well. To prove to both of them that she deserved to be a member of their team.

"Yes." Then Naruto had joined them. Kakashi had disabled them all with ease in their first test, but she knew even from those limited training sessions that Sasuke and Naruto were both leagues ahead of her by now. They probably had been for a long time.

"Please help me." On that first real mission, injured and alone against an enemy with real intent to kill, she'd honestly believed that she was going to die. It had only been the intervention of that shinobi, Zabuza, which had saved her life. On that day, she'd finally understood that this wasn't just a game. She'd known that it was dangerous on an intellectual level, of course, but staring death in the face was far different than knowing it was possible.

"I want to be stronger." She didn't want to be a burden. She didn't want to get her friends killed because she couldn't take care of herself.

"Good. Then let us begin the first lesson." The world blurred again as her tutor's body burst into crows, and she felt a hand grip her shoulder from behind.

"Never simply assume that a Genjutsu has been broken. Know that it is, or know that it is not."

"You, you just…"

"I simulated the effects of pain so that you would believe that the Genjutsu had been released, yes. Now," he released her shoulder, stepping forward and turning to face her. "Think of the Genjutsu that I just used. Think of me, the landscape, the weather, or even your own body. Was there anything unusual? Any indications that something may have been wrong?"

"Well, I did notice something right before you hit me. Or imitated hitting me, I guess. I thought I'd already passed by that bench there," she pointed towards the bench in the distance "and I know that it felt like it was taking longer to get here than it normally does."

"And what else? Remember, you shouldn't limit your observations to only these last few minutes."

"Okay…" _Might as well start at the beginning. I woke up, got ready just like I always do. Had breakfast, cleaned my clothes after yesterday. Ugh, Naruto just __**had**__ to hit Sasuke with a ball of mud, didn't he? They got in a fight, and…wait…_ "I'm still in a Genjutsu, aren't I?"

Itachi nodded approvingly, forming a seal. "Impressive. Release!"

"Am I finally out this time? For real?"

"Are you?"

"…Yes."

"And how did you figure it out?" He was more impressed than he'd anticipated. For someone who likely had no clue what to expect, she'd figured things out more quickly than he'd predicted. Perhaps he should reevaluate her skill level, at least slightly.

"It was raining last night. Naruto and Sasuke got in this big argument because Naruto threw a ball of mud in his hair." Itachi sighed quietly to himself, sympathizing with the girl. Even in the short time since their return, the duo had shown that they were capable of causing twice as much chaos as either could cause on their own, especially when arguing. At least he'd managed to make Naruto put on something cleaner before they went to dinner. "It was too late for everything to dry out when it stopped, and the skies were even cloudy this morning, like it was going to rain again. But when I came to meet you, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and everything was dry, like there was never any rain at all."

"Very good observations. You may consider this lesson complete, for now."

"Really? That's all there is?"

"Hn. But I want you to do something. Note your surroundings. Get to know the village. You've lived here for years, but how well do you truly know this place? Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. As a novice Genjutsu practitioner, you should work to make certain that your senses are attuned to the workings of this village. Adaptation will come with time and effort. However, before you can begin to properly assess other locales, you must first learn to know your own home."

"Right. I can do that."

"I'm sure you can. You are dismissed. Oh, and well done, Sakura."

* * *

"So the Jinchuuriki has returned, then." _How…convenient._ He turned to the cloaked figure wearing the porcelain ram mask, ignoring the man in the equally white dog mask leaning casually against the wall at his side. "Would they recognize you?"

"No sir. They only came into contact with agent Hyuga."

"Good, good. Keep the Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha that came with him under close observation. I want daily reports on their activities. Anything suspicious is to be reported immediately."

"As you command." And with that, Ram disappeared.

"From what I hear, the kid's pretty good. Maybe not Jonin level, but you can't expect much more out of someone his age."

"Perhaps." He leaned his head down, eye closing as Dog walked forward a few steps. Dog tilted his head to glance back at his superior, hands on his hips.

"Of course, he **is** a Jinchuuriki. We should probably expect him to have a few tricks up his sleeve. I doubt that Itachi has been slacking off either. He's probably improved by leaps and bounds, with all the traveling."

"Most likely."

"Guess we'll find out soon enough, eh gramps? After all, things are going to get a little…chaotic…in the next few weeks. Am I right?"

"Indeed. The preparations have been made."

Dog crossed his arms, turning to look at the dark-haired man and leaning forward slightly.

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see then, huh?"

"I trust you'll make sure things go as we intended. Sasuke won't likely stand by as 'his' village is threatened, and no doubt he's already suspicious." _So they've returned at last. Clever little Itachi, joining with the Akatsuki to protect one of the very people they hunt. You've become quite the little manipulator, just as expected. You're not finished yet though. No, not by any measure. I wonder, how will you manage the coming storm?_

Dog laughed, placing his hands behind his head, casual and relaxed.

"Hey, you're the boss Danzou. And when the boss wants something, the boss gets it. Don't you worry about the Third. Just leave everything to me."

* * *

AN: Well, there it is. Probably not my best, but I hope you enjoyed it.


	26. The Tora Files: Tora Strikes Back

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Sorry it took so long. Life and all that, you know? But I'm trying to get everything back into shape. Hope you enjoy!

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

Kakashi claimed he didn't have time to train them today, so he'd left them with a mission. To be honest, Team Seven really wished that he'd just forced them through some kind of grueling training session, several of which he'd recently developed just for his "cute little students," and gotten it over with. As it was, they simply had to adapt to the best of their ability, and hope that somehow they would manage to finish their job without demolishing the entire village in the process. The civilians of the village seemed strangely calm as two figures, one pink and one orange, dashed through the streets screaming at their target.

"I swear, I'm gonna kill that damned cat!"

"Left, go left! Push it towards the alley!"

"Whattya think I'm tryin' to do, Forehead?! It's really freakin' fast! And where the hell's Sour Sauce, anyway?!"

"Not sure. He just said to keep chasing it."

"Aw man, don't tell me he ditched!"

"No way! Sasuke wouldn't leave in the middle of a mission!" Right on cue, the dark-haired boy dropped down on the opposite end of the street, cutting off the "vicious beast" and forcing it into the alley that they'd been pushing it towards for most of the morning. They all knew it was a complete dead end, so felt no need to rush as they met at the entrance.

"Great job, Sasuke!"

"He chased a cat into a corner, big freakin' deal."

"You're just jealous."

"Me? Jealous of that ba-"

"Quiet you two. You act like we've already caught it." He stepped into the alley, the other two following him.

"Give it a rest. I mean, we've got it trapped. You need to lighten up a bit, Sour Sauce. What's the…prob…lem. Oh boy." The trio hesitated for only a split second, but that split second was all the time that the several dozen hissing and bristling creatures that Tora had apparently rounded together needed to make their move.

The ensuing screams could be heard throughout the village.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the ruckus to die down, and the three to regroup...In a sense.

"That's it. I need a break. Five minutes and I'll be ready to catch it." Naruto dropped to the ground, sprawled out on his back.

"I second." Sasuke wasn't fairing much better.

"Yeah, I'm in." Nor was Sakura.

"How the hell do they expect us to get that thing? It's like it's smarter every time we try!"

"What are you doing, you little pest?"

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head back, jaw dropping at the dark-clothed woman he'd met just the previous week. "You!"

"Me." Naruto shot up, grinning at Yugito before his eyes dropped to the purring cat in her arms, and he began point furiously at their escaped target.

"**You!**" Tora responded with a hiss, extending her claws at the boy as Yugito watched the cat's reaction with surprise.

"You're really not good with cats, are you?"

"Pfft. They're just not good with me. And that's no cat, it's a monster!" He paused. "Wait, what the heck are you doing here, Kitty Lady?"

Her eye twitched, and one arm reached out to flick him on the nose, much to Tora's glee, before continuing to pet he sadistic feline.

"Manners, you little pest. They're called manners. Try using them once in a while and you might actually get some answers."

"Wait, that headband…You're the Village Hidden in the Clouds, right? In the Land of Lightning? Why are you here in Konoha?"

"And how does the idiot over there know you?"

"You're Genin, aren't you? I'm surprised that your instructor hasn't told you yet." She reached into a pouch at her waist, pulling out the standard authorization papers. "The Chunin exams are coming up in less than a week. I'm escorting a team from the Cloud."

"They're what now?"

"Chunin Exams. Coming up soon." Kakashi's voice…Well, it would be a lie to say it was dramatic or booming. In fact, it sounded like he'd just rolled out of bed. Or a bar. Or anything else that one might attribute such a mellow and uninterested voice to.

"Sensei! Why didn't you tell us!?"

"Kakashi…"

"Damned Pervy Broomhead!"

Kakashi continued as if they hadn't said anything.

"In fact, I'm here to give you your release forms. If you want to sign up, you have to fill these out and return them tomorrow. And don't worry, there isn't any penalty for not agreeing to participate. I probably should have gotten them to you sooner, but I had to help an elderly associate of mine gather shoes for a-"

"What a load of bull!" Two voices rang out, while another mumbled about lamer-than-usual excuses under his breath.

"Kakashi Hatake of the Leaf Village?" Yugito was nearly as skeptical about that claim as Naruto's initial claim that he was a ninja when they'd first met. This was the legendary Copy-Ninja Kakashi? The only known person outside of the Uchiha Clan to have ever mastered the Sharingan? Perhaps you couldn't judge a book by its cover, but the man practically oozed "lazy" from his every pore. The Icha Icha series novel in his hands didn't exactly improve her opinion. Nor did the bored and almost glazed eye that turned her way.

"Hm? And you're from the Cloud. Welcome to Konoha." There was a brief, awkward silence as the two Jonin simply stared at one another (Or as silent as it could be when a teenage ninja dressed in bright orange was growling at an angry cat that repeatedly took swipes at said ninja), ending only when Kakashi blinked and gave a shrug. "Well, have a nice stay."

Several streets away from the scene, kneeling at the side of one of the larger buildings in the village, a small group observed the unusual interaction. With a dismissive laugh, the youngest smirked at the Genin that would likely be their adversaries in the near future.

"This is pathetic. If that's all Konoha's got, this'll be a sinch. Little twerps can't even catch a freaking cat."

"Stop being so cocky, little brother."

"Twin. **Twin** brother. T-W-I-N, **twin**, got it?" The blond held up a clenched fist, inciting an amused smirk from his sister.

"I'm still older."

"By like seven minutes!"

"Still older! What's wrong, widdle baby bwover, don't wike bein' widdwer ven me?" She chuckled, imagining cartoon-style steam shooting out of the boy's ears as his face went red with frustration.

Their sensei, as it would seem was more and more common with this particular generation of shinobi, could only sigh.

"Onui, stop goading your brother. And Otoi, I wouldn't underestimate those three if I were you." The duo turned away from the all-too-familiar sibling confrontation for a moment.

"Captain Darui?"

"You've noticed it by now, haven't you Usui?" The darker skinned of the three students glanced over, apparently having been satisfied with ignoring the argument by getting lost inside her little world.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. The cat is trained. Maybe not to support shinobi in a fight like some are, but she isn't just a normal cat. It really is an ingenious little test, when you think about it."

"Wait a sec, what do you mean it's been trained? Like some kinda ninja cat? We never do that kind of thing."

"Yeah, what's the deal, sensei? Baby brother here-"

"Twin!"

"-is actually right." She tilted her head and put a hand to her chin as if considering something odd. "Imagine that."

"Hey!"

"Usui, mind covering this one?" She nodded, examining the group in the streets more closely.

"It requires more than brute power or talent. They don't seem to realize that their target has been trained for this particular purpose, at least not from what I can tell, so they treat it as though it was a normal animal. They can't use taijutsu or ninjutsu to their fullest potential because it would risk harming their "prisoner." They can't simply outlast her, because she has the stamina and build to outrun them and reach places that they can't. They're forced to rely on the environment, tactics, teamwork, information gathering…The kind of things that children like them might normally ignore if they're just allowed to do whatever they want."

"Children like them? So you already consider yourself an adult then, Usui?"

"W-well I, I was just saying…"

"I'm just messing with you. Man, you kids just make it so easy these days. Still, it's true that you shouldn't underestimate them. Ain't that right, shinobi of Konohagakure?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head to glance at the feminine boy out of the corner of his eye. Haku turned to him and smiled as his students gawked at the sudden appearance of the stranger.

"That it is."

"The hell did you come from!?"

"Shut up, Otoi, I wanna hear what she-"

"He, actually." Usui interjected, before turning her attention back to the Genin trio speaking to Yugito. Or in one case, threatening that cat that had apparently eluded them on several occasions as it hissed at him in return. _The black-haired one is…cute…_

In the distance, Naruto had the sudden urge to annoy Sasuke about something. Anything. As long as it aggravated him.

"...What he has to say."

"My sensei once said that Konohagakure often appears weak in its methods at just a glance, but that…we…can be more effective than most believe. The shinobi of this village may not immediately train unstoppable warriors just out of the academy, but by the time they become full-fledged ninja, many of the things that others have to think about are simply second nature." In fact, not long after they'd come here, Zabuza's exact words when returning from his first meeting with the Hokage had been along the lines of "For people who act like such pussies, they can throw a pretty hard punch when you push 'em."

"…I still think it's gonna be a piece of cake."

"Shut up…My widdle baby bwover!"

"Dammit Onui!" And the duo descended into bickering once again, already having forgotten their sensei's scolding for what seemed to be the millionth time.

"Either way, it's bound to be an interesting exam this year. Too bad Lord Raikage and Bee couldn't make it."

"So the Raikage isn't coming? I thought all of the village leaders attended the exams."

"It depends. At the big ones like this, every participating country has to have representatives, but if the Kages can't show up, the Daimyou's usually do. And if they can't show then somebody else with a high rank will take their place. Haven't been a ninja for long, have you?"

"I suppose not." Not in Konoha, anyway, and Haku had the distinct feeling that this "Darui" had already caught on to that fact. "But I agree. It should be rather interesting. My sensei has been getting more aggressive with his training." And it was getting on all of their nerves. Apparently Zabuza was determined to show up Konoha's shinobi. Or at the very least, Naruto's team. The Cloud shinobi chuckled at that as he watched his students arguing, knowing the feeling.

"We can get like that when the exams come around. It's a teacher thing."

* * *

And the Chunin Exams weren't only being discussed in the Five Great Villages. While not nearly as big of an event to the civilian populace of the countries, mostly as a result of the fact that very few civilians from even the participating villages were ever able to attend, stories of the exams and what they supposedly entailed were still something of fun way to pass the time. However, in this particular instance, there was a civilian in just the right place, at just the right time. In a small but still rather frequented bar, he had joined a friend after a long day of work to tell him some rather exciting news.

"Hey," the slightly tipsy man mock-whispered to his drinking buddy. "Feel like going to the Chunin Exams in the Leaf Village this year?"

"What? Even if I did, that shit's only for ninja and people who live there. 'Sides, you've heard what kind of crazy stuff goes on at those things. It's a total bloodbath or something, from what I hear."

"No, nonono! Ya see, my big brother's the Fire Daimyou's aid, and he said he could get me and a buddy of mine in!"

"You're full of it."

"I mean it! Th-" A belch "There's some kinda big turnout this year. Bunch more people fightin' than usual, so the Daimyou's feelin' all generous, an' said my brother could bring me an a pal."

"Seriously? We might actually get to see some ninja fighting?"

"Din ya just say you didn't wanna go?"

"Screw that man, I'm in!"

_Interesting._ As the two oblivious patrons of the bar redoubled their drinking in celebration, he made his way outside and began walking towards the nearby inn, feeling the sands shift beneath him. Something was going to happen, and it was going to happen soon.

_So much for a peaceful trip._ Not that he'd truly expected one, considering who his traveling companions were.

* * *

"Leave us."

"Yes, Lord Mizukage." All but one filed out of the room, and she turned a calculating gaze towards their "guest."

"Master Yura, I don't feel comfortable with-"

"Aratama, did I not give you an order?" He gave her a meaningful glance, barely shifting in the throne-like seat at the head of the council chambers, a meeting with his advisors having just come to an end.

"…Yes, Lord Mizukage." She bowed before following the others, glaring at the masked man in warning, and he met the angered look with amusement. It wasn't as though he would dare to attack the Mizukage anyway.

"Hmm…That girl, isn't she-"

"Yes."

"Aratama, eh? I would think that affectionate nicknames were below the powerful and bloodthirsty Mizukage."

"In many cases, yes. She is an exception. When the time comes, I have every intention of passing on my seat to that woman."

"She must truly be talented to have earned the faith off one such as you, My Lord."

"My opinion of the girl is irrelevant at the moment. Now, Hyuga," The masked shinobi's shoulders tensed at the use of his codename. "Why not remove the mask? How could I hope to trust a messenger who never shows his face?"

"…I suppose you made use of the information we provided you with, then." Hyuga slid off the mask, turning to his left in an attempt to keep the burn scars somewhat hidden. Not to mention that he would rather keep his functional eye on the man before him. Unsurprisingly, the Mizukage didn't so much as twitch at the sight of the partially ruined flesh. Someone who earned his village the nickname "Village of the Bloody Mist" wouldn't likely be disturbed by a few healed burn marks.

"Nothing more than a gesture of good will. Your master didn't allow us to view any exceptionally significant details. As the one who acts as his messenger to my village most often, it was simple to discern your true identity. And you tend to favor your right side slightly, no doubt a result of that nasty encounter you had a few years ago. You might want to work on that."

"A reasonable enough explanation." Though the Mizukage's suggestion had been sarcastic, he made a mental note to look into it anyway.

"And you believe that I'm obligated to explain anything to you? You're wasting my time, dog of Konohagakure. Give me what you have come to give, or return to your master. I assume that this is something rather important, if he decided to send one of his agents away even with the Chunin Examinations so close. I would have expected him to keep his personal guard as close as possible with the current…arrangements."

"Time to do business then, I see. Very well. My master believes we have discovered some rather vital information from a recently acquired source. Information regarding your somewhat unique status, and some problems that it may lead to in the near future."

"…Understood. And I suppose that Lord Danzou wants something in return for this information?"

"Why, of course. Nothing is free, especially nothing that we have to tell you. However, for the time being he will simply settle for your cooperation in denying a mutual enemy a potential resource."

"I'm listening."

* * *

Footsteps echoed through the empty halls, the boy responsible ignoring the cries from the cells surrounding him. Only one of these had ever been of any real interest to him, and that same subject was one of only a very limited few who truly interested his lord either. In fact, that subject was precisely why he in particular had been chosen to enter the upcoming exams, albeit without revealing too many of his skills. There were a great many people with an amazingly higher number of intertwining schemes, all hinging on how the events of the upcoming Chunin Examinations in the village of Konohagakure proceeded. And as was in their nature, none of the schemers trusted one another, and all of them had every intention of betraying one another at some point. It was his duty to bring the subject to the exams, and in turn his duty to ensure that everything went as planned by **his** schemer. As he approached the intended cell, he could already hear the somewhat frantic mumblings that nearly always resulted in a fit of destructive rage.

"Kill, kill, someone's coming. If it's a boy? No, a girl. Kill her. Him? Her, her!"

The door opened, and the orange-haired boy prepared to surge forward, only to sit back quietly when the pale shinobi of the Sound Village entered.

"Not a girl then, then not a kill!" His eyes seemed to focus on Kimimaro. "No, not a kill, never a kill."

"Jugo, calm yourself." Needle-like bones shot out, severing the chains restraining him. "Come. Lord Orochimaru has need of your talents."

* * *

AN: Guess what, readers? We have **one**, and I repeat, **one** more chapter before the Chunin Exams officially kick off with the written exam. And after that, I'm sure that those of you who have been aching to see what certain characters have learned as a result of these changes will be pleased. The next chapter should be out far sooner than this one, and since I'm attempting to update all of my stories this month (Well, except oneshots and those that I've stopped working on…Which is maybe one), Apprentice and Reversal will likely be getting an update soon as well.


	27. Before the Storm: Studying

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Well, here's the next one.

_Thoughts_

_**Demon/Inner Conversation**_

**Time Passage**

* * *

The Demon Brothers hit the grass with a thud, Gouzu rolling backwards to his feet while Meizu stayed sprawled out on the ground, only bothering to draw himself up onto his elbows. Kunai and shuriken littered the training ground, and their razor-sharp chain was broke. _Again_, Gouzu thought as he let out a barely audible sigh. At this rate they'd need to just buy a new one instead of fixing it up again. Turning forlorn eyes from the once-prized weapon, he focused in on Zabuza's aggravated rant about their rather unimpressive (at least by Zabuza standards) performance. Meizu rolled his eyes and glanced to his brother with a look that would just be begging for a blow to skull if Zabuza noticed.

"…I don't expect you to take down Haku, or hell, even Naruto, but this is just pathetic. You guys are supposed to be Chunin already, dammit! Do you really want to get shown up by all these little punks? You know how it'll look if my own subordinates can't even keep up with a bunch of little brats in a little competition?"

"Come on Boss, do you really think any of those brats will be able to give us trouble? Yeah, Naruto can be pretty tough when he wants, but I doubt he's Chunin material. I guess that Sasuke kid might be the same since he's Itachi's brother, but Haku here's the only one that's a big deal, and we don't have to worry about him."

"Idiot." Zabuza's opinion, as always, was obvious.

"Idiot." Meizu's opinion, as always, was apparently on the same page as Zabuza.

"You shouldn't be so overconfident, Gouzu." At least he could always count on Haku to be nicer. Then again, maybe if he'd actually been in the training session instead of sitting off to the side watching while their leader gave them a thorough thrashing, the feminine child wouldn't have been so amiable.

"Oh please. It's not like the village is full of freak-of-nature prodigies or anything."

"I don't give a damn, Meizu! You're going to get your ass back to work, and this time you'll give it your best plus some! Now Haku, I want you to-Haku?" He glanced around sharply, but there was no sign of his long-time companion.

"It looks like he decided he wanted to avoid our training session. I think he knew you were about to bring him into this."

"Man, and you ride our asses over this crap? That kid's got you whipped good, bossman."

The glare said more than words, but Gouzu needed to say something anyway.

"Dammit, Meizu!"

From the shadows of the forest, the ever-watchful shinobi assigned to observe the newcomers to the village for suspicious activity winced at the sight before him, and for a moment Yamato almost felt sorry for the Demon Duo.

* * *

"Man, this is such a drag." Shikamaru let himself drop to the ground, sprawling out and clearly intent on staying that way. Asuma just chuckled from the post he was sitting on while he watched the bickering. Maybe it was time for their training session to end for the day.

"Shut up Shikamaru! Stop complaining all the time! I've gotta become a Chunin so I can impress Sasuke! We're doing this again!" Choji looked over at Ino's declaration, not surprised in the least, but looking as though someone had just told him that every restaurant in the village had been bombed.

"B-But Ino, I want to go to lunch."

"You shut it too, Chouji! We're gonna go over this until we get it right!"

"I'm with Chouji, Ino." The half-hearted complaint from the ground wasn't helping.

"Of course you are, you lazy ass!"

"Come on Ino, that was pretty mean."

"Argh! You're both hopeless, lazy bums. Why couldn't I have been on Sasuke's team?"

"So freaking troublesome."

"Foo-oood!"

Sometimes, her teammates made her want to scream. When that happened, she knew there was always someone she could turn to, at least when it came to training. After all, with the exams coming up he'd been pushing them harder than ever, and he'd been so determined to impress Kurenai (Even if he refused to admit it) that there was no way Asuma would-

"You know, I think the guys are right. We should probably call it a day and grab some lunch." Then again, sometimes her teacher was just as bad.

And so with a final cry of frustration, Ino caved and agreed to join them on the condition that Asuma paid for everything, knowing that she could at least get revenge by making him foot Choji's bill.

* * *

"It's been half an hour. Kiba?"

"Same as always, guys. Sensei's can't hide her scent completely, but she's not half bad at it, and she's sure gotten good at throwing it off. Between all the normal crap around the forest and the stuff she's got spread around, I can't get anything specific. I can tell you that she probably hasn't left the training field though, so we're not gonna be chasin' her around the village."

"Not for now. I admit I haven't had much luck either at this juncture."

"I-it's okay, Shino. You got us this far, s-s-so we can't blame you, right?"

"Hinata's right, man. You kept us on her trail for at least an hour or two, so let us take care of some of the work. Let's take a look at what we've got here."

"Hm. We know that she's found a way to hide herself from my insects, and that she's found effective means of limiting the use of your enhanced senses."

"S-she also has the Cloak of Invisibility technique."

"Yeah, I guess. It might be an academy technique, but with a Jonin like her it might as well be a top level skill, eh?"

"Quite. So smell and typical sight are out of the question." He shifted his position subtly. Most would consider it an annoyed twitch, but his teammates had known him at least long enough to get the signal. "And my insects are also unable to do the job. She won't make a sound, we already know that much, so we can't rely on our ears. That means-"

"Byakugan!" Hinata activated the Kekkei Genkai without warning, immediately scanning the area…and paling before letting out a shout, "Kiba, down!"

The boy barely ducked in time to avoid the spinning blades of the shuriken. Shino lurched forward to knock it aside, and then stepped in front of Hinata as a barrage of the small blades slammed into his chest. The forest seemed to explode into action as his body separated into thousands of insects, the clone having lost its use as the real Shino reached his target. Unfortunately, when faced with their Jonin Sensei, even the element of surprise had only limited uses…and honestly, he doubted that they even had that particular element in their advantage right now.

When he only managed to land on his feet just in time for Kiba to come barreling into him after a sharp kick to the stomach, he considered the hypothesis tested and confirmed. The duo scrambled to their feet as Hinata joined their side, all three standing backs to one another and searching for their teacher, no hidden once again. Then a voice came from the space between their backs, all but Shino visibly leaping away in fright and surprise at the woman's sudden proximity to them.

"I think that's enough for now, kids."

"What the hell was that, Sensei!"

"Just a little trick I picked up back in my rookie days."

"No, not that disappeary thing! You coulda killed me with those!"

"I had faith in your abilities." That seemed to quiet the boy slightly. "Shino's clone would have taken the hit if you were too slow to get out of the way."

Kiba gawked at the chuckling woman (soon joined by Hinata), and shot a half-serious glare at Shino. Oh, the boy might not have shown it, but he was pretty darn certain that the insect user was smirking at him. Sooner or later **he'd** be the one that needed saving and Kiba had every intention of teasing him with that for the rest of their lives. It just had to actually happen. And it would. Someday. Probably later. Oh well, if the mission was over, it was time for the praise. Kurenai smiled warmly at her students for a brief moment before beginning the short appraisals of their performances.

"You're doing great, Hinata, but you need to be more confident. You may not be able to hold the Byakugan for too long, but don't be afraid to use it if you think it could help."

"Great work, Hina!"

"You've improved greatly."

"T-thank you, sensei, Kiba, Shino. You did a really well too."

"Shino, you did an excellent job as well. Still, you need to work on some of your other practical skills. You have a great tactical mind, but may not always be able to rely on your insects for every scenario."

"Yeah, bug-boy, you need to do a little more brawling! Like me, ya know?"

"And Kiba, tone it down a little. Confidence is good, but loud and arrogant will get you in trouble."

"Eh?"

"Still, you managed to keep alert and reacted well. Just work on **not** charging headfirst at your enemies every time."

"Yeah, yeah, avoid the bum rushing. Gotcha."

"So, how does lunch sound? My treat, since you've all agreed on your participation in the exams."

"T-thank you, Sensei."

"I see no problem in joining you."

"Free food? Hell yeah, let's get going already!"

* * *

"Ha! I've got you this time!" Sakura yelled as the kunai arced sliced through the air only to widen her eyes in surprise as "Itachi's" body became a torrent of crows flying into the skies.

_Behind!_ She glanced behind her just in time to see the blade arcing down. Smirking just as it made contact, Sakura's body exploded into a whirlwind of flower petals, spinning around Itachi and blocking his view. His eyes shifted across the blossoms as he waited for an attack. Yet it never came. The wind died down, the petals falling gently to the earth below him.

_Odd. _It wasn't like her to completely retreat during their lessons. _Now where did you go?_

The moment he stepped forward he felt it, and spun around in time to stomp down on the girl's kunai as she seemed to appear from the grass below, pinning her hands to the ground. He twisted around while bringing his free foot around towards her face with a kick that would no doubt leave a very, very painful bruise. If, of course, he hadn't immediately altered the course of his blow just before it made contact, bending his leg at the knee and coming full circle to his first position just in time to drive said knee into the charging Sakura's stomach, sending her rolling backwards across the ground as the illusion he'd pinned moments before disappeared. The real Sakura began picking herself up, clutching at her aching belly but grinning at him all the same.

"So?"

"I'm impressed. It's only been a matter of days, yet you've improved drastically. I would like to teach you more, but this should do for the time being. I doubt you'll be encountering any other contestants on a level this advanced during the exams anyway."

"Thanks, sensei. So do you think we can keep up the training after the exams?"

"Hm. Perhaps so. That is, if you don't feel that you've outgrown your teacher." She put on a pseudo-shocked expression, dramatically grasping at her heart.

"What? Of course not! I'd never get tired of you, oh Mighty Ultimate Genjutsu Master of the Universe!" The smirk returned. "Oh, and by the way, it looks like I did get you this time. Bye-bye, sensei!"

And with that, Sakura turned to make her order at the small restaurant, satisfied that she'd finally managed to pull one over on her temporary Genjutsu tutor. She chuckled behind the menu, knowing that he'd probably get her back the next time she met him for a lesson, but the look on his face…

"Priceless." She glanced up in horror at the "waiter," easily recognizing said tutor's voice. She couldn't seem to form the words as he raised an eyebrow, looking down at her with amusement.

"Perhaps someday, my little student. But not today." And as Sakura found herself back in the park, she let out a cry of frustration. _Sometimes that boy is just so…so…_

"I-TA-CHI!"

* * *

The explosion from the Uchiha's personal training grounds sounded across the compound. Yet not a single head was turned in surprise, all of the occupants having gotten used to the exploits of Shisui Uchiha and his little cousin Sasuke. From her home, Mikoto sighed.

_There they go again._ They'd have to replant the trees. Again.

Meanwhile, in the training ground, the younger of the increasingly infamous Uchiha duo released over a dozen spinning shuriken all around him towards the burning vegetation of the forest. As he focused his chakra into the strings controlling the blades, the flames spreading through the forest seemed drawn to them, surrounding the already deadly weapons to increase their effectiveness twice over. He began to twist and spin, the now-burning blades creating a defensive field around their owner as he awaited his pursuer's next attempt.

A rumbling overcame the sounds of the crackling flames, and Sasuke released the blades just as waves of water coursed through the trees towards his position, dousing the flames and packing enough momentum to cause some genuine damage…if they were able to make contact. He flipped through a quick series of seals before clapping his hands together, taking a deep breath, and releasing a small burst of fire in between them. His arms shot out to his side, and as his hands separated a massive pillar of fire followed, surrounding him at the moment that the water jutsu was in range. The immense heat quickly overcame its competitor, filling the entire field with a thick cloud of steam.

A hand firmly gripping a kunai broke through the misty air, stopping right between Sasuke's eyes.

"Too slow!" Shisui said with a smirk. Sasuke only returned the expression, causing his cousin to narrow his eyes before the younger boy disappeared in a blur of motion, only to feel the slight pressure of a blade at the back of his neck.

"Am I too slow now, sensei!" Shisui raised his arms into the air as if in defeat, turning around to look at the younger boy.

"Afraid so, little cousin."

"I know that you're not using a Shadow Clone, Shisui. And you hate using Genjutsu. So tell me, what makes you think you can get out of this one? Maybe I'm just that good."

"Ah, the arrogance of youth." Sasuke was about to speak when he felt a blade pressed against his own neck, and his eyes widened with shock as the Shisui in front of him disappeared. There were no theatrics, there was no motion, there was nothing indicating that he'd even been there. He was just…gone.

_W-what in the world was that?_

"That kind of arrogance will kill you. It will kill you, and your team, and your friends. You're good, Sasuke. But you're not nearly good enough to be so certain of your victory."

Sasuke could only stare back at his cousin, eyes widened in a combination of admiration, shock, and even a bit of fear. He'd never heard of such a technique. He'd studied almost obsessively when it came to all three of the primary combat arts utilized by ninja across the world, but he'd **never** seen this before. Clones, the Body Flicker, illusions, or even sheer speed…This was none of those. Perhaps, from the look on his cousin's face, this was the kind of thing that Jonin were really capable of.

He'd expected Shisui to be ready for something like this. He hadn't honestly believed that he could catch the man who had trained him, and who was years ahead of him in terms of experience, off guard for very long. But to be so completely outmatched, and so effortlessly…it wasn't something easy to accept. He'd played off Itachi's easy victory as unfamiliarity with his opponent's skills, that they were simply sparring, and a variety of other excuses. He'd never seriously trained with any of his other relatives, either. If this was what Jonin really were capable of, then he would be a fool not to realize that had quite a long way to go before he could afford that sort of confidence in his skills.

"So, little cousin, wanna get some breakfast? Lunch? Brunch? Brinner? Dinner? Brunner? Middle aftermorning snacktime? I'm starving back here."

And apparently the man was still as obnoxiously whiny as ever, even in this position. He couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that sometimes, **he** was the more mature of their little master-student team.

* * *

Hanabi Hyuuga was confused. Oh, she wasn't lost, not this time. She simply wasn't certain what to do. The leaders of the clan were needed at the village's main administration building to prepare for a final meeting between the village leaders before the exams. In fact, most of the clan was doing something or another in regards to the upcoming exams, including all of the replacement trainers that her father might have considered while he was busy. And considering that she hadn't had any major problems when she'd been out the previous time (Not that Hiashi knew of, anyway) he'd felt it would be alright to give her a day off.

And that was how she landed in this particular predicament; she had never actually taken a day off to just wander the village, and now hadn't the slightest idea where she wanted to go, or where she would have to go to find it even if she had known. Heck, she'd only even left the compound for errands twice, and the first time she'd gotten lost on the way to her destination only to be found by…her solution. If there was anyone outside of her clan that she knew would be willing to help her around, it would be the crazy boy who wore far too much orange for any reasonable creature to willingly wear. But he was nice, and he'd told her to find him the next time she was around to treat her to lunch, and she planned to do just that.

But how to find him?

Her first stop had been the ramen shop that he'd tried to take her to before. It still wasn't open, but an old man who claimed to be the owner had been standing outside speaking to someone, and had been more than pleased to address the young girl who'd waited so politely and patiently for him to finish his business. He didn't know where Naruto was, but he'd seen him earlier and knew of a few places that the boy had frequented a few years earlier. Considering his attitude before, the first of those suggestions she'd looked in to was the Hokage Monument. And lo and behold, there he'd been, calmly sitting on the Fourth Hokage's head as though it **wasn't** a legendary and revered landmark, legs crossed and arms folded in front of him in a meditative pose.

_Maybe this wasn't a good idea._ If he was going to be in the Chunin Exams, and this meditation was part of his training, interfering would be wrong. People got hurt in the tests, and she didn't want to cause him any trouble down the line just because she'd been uncertain of what to do and nagged him into helping her.

So naturally she nearly fell over in surprise when his head tilted to the side, and a loud snore made it very clear that he was most certainly **not** meditating.

_You-You little!_ Frustrated that she'd been so concerned without reason, Hanabi then did something she wouldn't have normally done. She gave a sleeping man a rather firm smack to the back of the head, eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"GIANTTOAD!" Naruto shot up the moment that he was moved from his position, glancing around as if expecting to see some kind of monster. When his eyes settled on the annoyed (and thoroughly confused) little girl standing before him, he grinned. "Hey there, Little Girl. Whatcha been doin' lately?"

"Training."

"Oh. Okay. So what'd you need?"

"I was hoping to take you up on your offer. From before, I mean."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure. No problem. Where do you wanna go? I could use some lunch anyway, what with all the training I've been doing for these Chunin Exam thingies lately."

"I see. Your training looked…intense." She sighed, following the strange boy as he made his way down the mountain. "You know, Father says that the Chunin Examinations this year are likely to be harsher than usual. He says that there are far more contestants than almost any other exam he's seen."

His reaction wasn't quite what she expected.

"Sounds great! Man, I'm so pumped for this thing! Kinda feels like it's taking forever to get here though."

"You know that the exams are dangerous, right?" Again, he just smiled.

"Then it's perfect!"

"You're…confident. It's strange." He tilted his head back to look at her, confusion etched across his face.

"How's that?"

"I don't see very many of our village's ninja outside of the Hyuuga Clan since my father puts so much time into my training, but from what I understand, most Genin hope for an **easy** exam. Why are you so excited that it will be harder?" He turned away from her, scratching his chin and looking thoughtful.

"I guess it's like a guy I met a while back used to say. 'You can't be the best unless you're the best.'" She raised an eyebrow at that.

"…Does that not go without saying?"

"Yeah, I didn't get it at first. Guy was kinda weird. See, it's like this, alright? I'm planning to be Hokage someday, which means I've gotta be the best in the village. If I can't even be the best in the exam, then that dream's pretty far off. But if the strongest and smartest guys aren't my opponents, what's the point in being better than them? If I'm not up against the best, then I might as well beat up all the kids at the academy and say I'm the best. To be the best, I have to be the best out there, and I can't do that if I'm not up against the best…Don't know if that makes any sense, but it sounded good enough in my head."

"Actually, I think I understand." _It's almost like our clan. The Hyuuga Clan didn't become elite by defeating weak opponents. We became strong by defeating strong opponents. Proving your strength over those who are obviously weaker doesn't prove your true strength at all. It's meaningless._ She hadn't expected something like that from the spacey and slightly obnoxious boy (Kind and friendly sure, but still a bit of a brat all the same). It wasn't the deepest philosophy she'd ever heard, but not something she'd have expected from a "common" ninja, as she'd heard some of her clansmen call the others in Konoha on occasion.

"Anyway, I'm not too worried. I'm pretty sure I've fought worse than whatever these guys can throw at me. Nah, I think Princess is the biggest thing to worry about."

"Princess?" She caught up to him, walking behind him along the streets rather than slightly behind as he weaved through the crowds with surprising ease for someone so clumsy.

"He's a friend of mine. Great guy, has some killer moves, but acts girlier than most of the girls I know." _Unless you threaten Zabuza._ That was something he'd only seen a few times, but he doubted he'd ever get used to seeing his friend's personality make such a massive shift. He could be outright vicious when Zabuza's safety was at stake. "Either way, I can't wait! I probably won't have much fun fighting anybody, but I'm sure there'll be some other challenges."

"Still, you should be more cautious. If you don't take this exam seriously you could get hurt." And she didn't want that. How odd that she felt so strongly about someone outside of the clan. Not that they lacked empathy for others, but she rarely saw any of them often enough to develop any kind of relationship. Yet after only one meeting, she was already concerned for this one's safety.

"Ah, you worry too much. I appreciate it though, kid." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to give her a playful hug, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks.

"O-of course."

* * *

**That night, the Hokage Office…**

"Ambassadors of my friends and allies, men and women of my own village, new and old alike. We've struggled many years for the peace that we now have the privilege of passing on to the next generation. Yet as we grow older, it is time once again for the next generation to take the next step on the path to succeeding their mothers and fathers as shinobi. And finally letting me retire." A few chuckles were heard from the younger faces in the crowd, though several of the older shinobi wore knowing expressions.

"Tomorrow, the Chunin Examinations begin. For several years now these tests have provided us with a means of competing, a sign of good faith between our former enemies, and strengthening the bonds between our honored allies. And so as the Kage of the sponsoring village of Konohagakure, and as a show of my faith in our continued friendship, I wish every one of you the best of luck."

* * *

AN: Well…there goes. I don't know what's been keeping me on all of my stories lately. Just life, I guess. Anyway, in the next chapter we see some of the competitors from other villages, see the entire Konoha gang get together, get through the written exams, and kick off the Forest of Death arc.


End file.
